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THE LIFE 



CONSTANS L. GOODELL, D.D 



A. H. CURRIER, D.D., 

PROFESSOR OF PASTORAL THEOLOGY IN OBERLIN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 



WITH AN INTRODUCTION 

BY 
WILLIAM M. TAYLOR, D.D., LL.D., 

MINISTER OF THE BROADWAY TABERNACLE, NEW YORK CTTY. 




NEW YORK: 
ANSON D. F. RANDOLPH & COMPANY, 

38 WEST TWENTY-THIRD STREET. 



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.Q57C7 



Copyright, 1887, by 
Anson D. F. Randolph & Company. 



edward o. jenkins sons, 
Printers and Stereotypers, 
North William Street, New York. 



TO THE TWO CHURCHES 

WHICH HE SERVED AND SO GREATLY BLESSED BY HIS 
MINISTRY, 

THE SOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, 

New Britain, Conn., 

AND 

THE PILGRIM CHURCH, 
St. Louis, Mo., 

THIS LIFE OF THEIR FORMER BELOVED PASTOR 

IS DEDICATED 

BY 

THE AUTHOR. 



u The bright memories of the holy dead, 
The blessed ones departed, shine on us 
Like the pure splendors of some clear, large star, 
Which, pilgrims, travelling onward, at their backs 
Leave, and at every moment see not now; 
Yet whensoever they list may pause and turn, 
And with its glories gild their faces still" 

— Trench. 



PREFACE 



The portrait of character and Christian manhood 
presented in this volume is a mosaic. It is composed 
of materials contributed for the work by many different 
people. In some cases the lines of juncture are clearly 
to be seen from the formal acknowledgment made of 
the contributions used. But in most cases no mention 
is made of the persons furnishing the information of 
facts and incidents spoken of. This is true sometimes 
even when the very words, as well as the substance of 
the matter, may have been wrought into the work. It 
could hardly be otherwise, in view of the multitudinous 
sources whence the materials have come. To have 
made formal acknowledgment of the debt in every in- 
stance by giving the name of the contributor, would 
have encumbered too much the flow of the narrative, 
and marred the page with too numerous quotation- 
marks. 

Let it be deemed sufficient, therefore, that the author 
here confesses his great obligation to the many persons 
who have given him important aid in the preparation 
of this biography. Never did biographer meet with 
kinder response to his appeal for aid to the friends of 
the subject of his work. He has not been able to use 
all the materials contributed. He has been obliged 
occasionally to omit what, if inserted in the mosaic, 

(vii) 



viii PREFACE. 

might have enriched it as with gems and precious 
stones. 

Special acknowledgments must be made to a few 
persons for great assistance rendered, viz. : to Deacon 
John Wiard and Professor D. N. Camp, of New Britain ; 
to Mr. E. P. Bronson, Mr. L. B. Ripley, Mr. A. W. 
Benedict, and Mrs. S. B. Kellogg, of St. Louis ; and to 
Mrs. Goodell more than to any. Without her help the 
author could not have done his work. 

In doing this work the author has found great per- 
sonal benefit. In his study of the thoughts and char- 
acter and life of this good man, and in the silent con- 
verse and daily companionship he has been permitted 
to hold with him the past year, he has felt that God 
and all good things were brought nearer. If the read- 
ers of the book are half as much benefited, the author's 
work will not have been in vain. 

A large portion of its readers will be found in the 
two congregations who enjoyed the blessing of Dr. 
Goodell's ministry. It is the author's hope that the 
book will so revive their recollections of that ministry 
and keep them alive, that they will receive a new and 
more enduring blessing from it ; that, to use a figure 
of Goethe, the work may be to them a kind of golden 
net wherewith they may draw up in a miraculous draft 
the shadows of a past life from the flood of Lethe. 

Oberlin, Ohio, July 20, 1887. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The biography of Dr. Goodell needs no introduction 
from any one. The reader will not have gone many 
pages into it until he comes under the spell of an inter- 
est which will attract him, with increasing fascination 
until the close. 

It is the life of a genial, winning, lovable and alto- 
gether lovely pastor, worthy to be called the Great-Heart 
of our Western pulpit. As such it will be heartily wel- 
comed not only by the two congregations — one in the 
East, and one in the West — which were privileged for 
:SO many years to enjoy his ministrations ; but also by 
Christians generally, as illustrating anew the old truth, 
that the Holy Spirit works along the lines of individual 
temperament and disposition, in each believer, so that 
each can say with Paul, " I live, yet not I, but Christ liv- 
•eth in me"; and again, "I labored, yet not I, but the 
grace of God which was with me." Thus in the Chris- 
tian Church there is variety in unity, and the Spirit of 
God sanctifies and uses the qualities which are distinct- 
ive in each one of His servants. 

But, while thus the following pages will be fraught 
with interest to all who delight to trace the methods of 
the divine operation in individual souls, they will be 
especially stimulating and helpful to those who are la- 
boring in the ministry of the Gospel. These will not 
find it difficult to analyze the character of the man who 
is here portrayed : and they will discover in that anal- 
ysis the " open secret " of his success as a pastor. 

At the root of all was Dr. Goodell's thorough conse- 

(ix) 



X INTRODUCTION. 

cration of himself to Christ. When he was converted, 
he was converted through and through. The change in 
him was so marked because it was so radical. His first 
question to his newly discovered Lord was that of Paul, 
"What wilt Thou have me to do?" Nay, that was his 
constant inquiry from his conversion onwards, and the 
record of his life is the record of his obedience to the 
directions which, in response to that inquiry, he was con- 
stantly receiving. 

For the active in him was not only balanced but fed 
by the devotional. It is refreshing to read of his earn- 
estness in the closet ; and perhaps the portions of this 
volume which will produce the deepest impression, are 
the quotations which it contains from private memo- 
randa for prayer. We can well understand all that is 
said of Dr. Goodeirs prayers in the sanctuary, when we 
read those precious sentences — prayer- telegrams we 
might almost call them — which, though never intended 
to be seen by other eyes than his own, have been pre- 
served and printed here. If there were more such closet 
communings with God among pastors, there would be 
fewer complaints concerning the devotions of the sanc- 
tuary, and fewer cravings after a liturgy, among the 
people. 

Rooted in this devotional fervor and strengthened by 
it was Dr. Goodeirs earnest personal dealing with men 
one by one. As his biographer suggestively remarks, 
the fruit of his ministry was all "hand-picked." In fish- 
ing for men, he used the hook rather than the net. He 
had a tact, which seemed almost the result of divine 
suggestion, and which led him to say to a man the right 
thing at the right time. Nor was he content with viva 
voce communication. He frequently wrote letters to those 
whom he could not otherwise so fully reach — therein re- 
sembling the late venerable and beloved Dr. Adams, of 
New York, who not seldom had recourse to the same 



INTRODUCTION. XI 

expedient. Many in this way might do more harm than 
good ; but his closet communings with God kept Dr. 
Goodell always in touch with the divine wisdom, and 
that made him wise in winning human souls. 

Along with this aptitude in dealing with individual 
cases, there was a marvellous organizing faculty. He 
seemed to know what each could do best, and he did 
not rest until he had found that for him to do. So his 
two churches were admirably managed, realizing more 
nearly than most, work for all and a department for 
each. He found for " every man his work." 

Then by his thorough humanness, his genial humor, 
his bright cheerfulness, he kept all happy around him. 
There was in him nothing of the morose. His piety was 
not afraid of laughter, and did not choke back a joke. 
Wherever he was, he was a sunbeam, so that as he left 
the circle wherein for the time he shone, those who re- 
mained behind could not help saying, " O man greatly 
beloved." 

Such was Dr. Goodell as his friends knew him, and 
such they will find him faithfully depicted in these 
pages. Now, when such a man gives himself thorough- 
ly up to be used by the Holy Spirit, as His instrument 
in the conversion and edification of men, we have the 
adequate explanation of his pastoral success ; and the 
example herein set forth is signally fitted to quicken 
those who are actively engaged in " the ministry of the 
Word." That it maybe thus blessed to all the ministers; 
and churches of the land, is our most earnest prayer. 

William M. Taylor. 

New York, Dec. i, 1887. 



C ONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 
1830 — 1 85 1. 

PAGE- 

His Birth and Parentage. Early Life on the Farm. Taste 
for Books. Share in Circulating Library. Decision of 
his Father to assist him to an Education. School Days 
at Morrisville and Bakersfield Academies. Sabbath- 
school Address at 19 years of age in Calais 3, 

CHAPTER II. 

1851— 1855. 
He enters College at Burlington, Vt. His Instructors. 
Testimonies of Friends and Classmates. Teaching in 
St. Johnsbury. " Excelsior." Conversion and Profes- 
sion of Faith. Graduation. Autobiography 15, 

CHAPTER III. 

1855— 1858. 
His Mother's Prayers. Entrance at Theological Seminary 
in Andover. Professors. Testimony of Prof. Phelps. 
Vacation Preaching in Bristol, Vt. "Reminiscences.". 31 

CHAPTER IV. 
1858. 
Seminary Friendships. Engagement to be Married. Let- 
ters. His Views of the Ministry. Preaching. Anni- 
versary Week. Graduation 47 

CHAPTER V. 
1858— 1859. 
Letters to Miss Fairbanks. Engagement to Preach at Hart- 
ford. Fortitude under Trials. Hopeful Spirit. Per- 
plexity of Mind over different Fields offered. Call to 
New Britain. The South Church. Leaves Andover. . . dj 

(xiii) 



XIV CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VI. 

1859. 

PAGE 

Ordination. Auspicious Beginning. Happy Anticipations 
of the Work. Home at Prof. Camp's. Death of his 
Father. Wedding-gift and Acknowledgment. Mar- 
riage. Sketch of Home Life. His Indebtedness to his 
Wife 97 

CHAPTER VII. 
1859—1865. 
Testimony of Prof. Camp about his opening Ministry. 
Letters to Rev. A. Hazen and Gov. Fairbanks. The 
Work of the first Five Years. Learning how to Work. 
Interest in Children. Stimulates his Church to Greater 
Benevolence. Missionary Concert. Attention to the 
Prayer-meeting. His Note-books. Thoughts. Outside 
Work and Influence. Development of the Church in 
Spiritual Strength. His own Spiritual Growth 117 

CHAPTER VIII. 
1865— 1867. 
Journey through the Southern States. Love of his Chil- 
dren and Home. New Church Edifice. First Trip to 
Europe and the Holy Land. Letters of Travel 147 

CHAPTER IX. 

1867— 1872. 
Resumes Work. Enjoyment of his Work. Pastoral Traits. 
Mode of Dealing with Inquirers. Efforts to bring 
Households to Unity of Faith. Use of Letters in his 
Ministerial Work. His Wisdom in Conversation. His 
Sympathy. Interest in the Poor. In Foreigners. Min- 
istry to the Sick. Growth in Ministerial Power. In 
Personal Piety. Letter written on his Fortieth Birth- 
day. Remarkable Growth of his Church. His Power 
as a Preacher. Prayers from his Note-book. Call to 
St. Louis. His Letter of Acceptance 173 






CONTENTS. XV 

CHAPTER X. 

1872— 1873. 

PAGE 

Entrance upon his Pastorate in St. Louis. Illness. The 
Work to be Done. St. Louis as a Field for Work. Per- 
sonal Qualities that fitted him for Success. Serenity 
of Mind. Religious Interest. Favored by Providence. 
Letters to Old Friends. Installed. Interesting Sermon. 
" Why have you sent for me ? " His Purpose in Coming. 
Sermon before Vacation. Need and Benefit of occa- 
sional Leisure. Touching Incident 203 

CHAPTER XL 
1873— 1875. 
Formation of Evangelical Alliance. Revival under Labors 
of Rev. E. P. Hammond. Showers of Blessing. Letter 
to Mr. Chas. Peck. Received Degree of D.D. Labors 
and Success in Winning Men. Prayers for Sabbath 
Morning and Evening 221 

CHAPTER XII. 

1875 — 1876. 
Church Debt Lifted. Trip Abroad. Cyclone at Sea. Losses 
by Removal. Prayers from his Note-book. A Mighty 
Reaper. Duty of Confessing Christ. Letter to his Son. 
Address : " Duty of Churches to Give their Choicest 
Sons to the Ministry." Belfry Chimes. Thoughts from 
his Note-book 239 

CHAPTER XIII. 

1877. 
His Interest in Drury College. President Morrison's Ac- 
count of Dr. Goodell's Important Services to the Col- 
lege. Contribution to its Library. An affecting Scene. 
His Words of Cheer in Time of Depression. Testimony 
of A. W. Benedict, Esq. Of Prof. C. D. Adams. 
Methods of Kindness. Thoughts from his Note-book. 
Growth in Reputation and Influence. Attractive Per- 
sonality. Popular Qualities. Brilliant occasional Ad- 



XVI CONTENTS. 

PAGB 

dresses. Intense and Multifarious Activity. Trip to 
Texas. Address : " The Preacher's Power," before 
Theological Seminary, Chicago. Address at Annual 
Meeting of A. B. C. F. M., Providence, R. I. Address 
at National Council, Detroit : " Woman's Work," etc. . . 261 



CHAPTER XIV. 

1877— 1879. 

Distance Travelled in " Outside Work " of One Year. 
The Benefit it yielded his Church. His Power of 
Graphic Description. Nineteenth Anniversary of Mar- 
riage, with various Thoughts. Trips to St. Paul, Minn., 
and Oberlin, O. Letter to his Class on Twentieth An- 
niversary of Graduation from Theological Seminary. 
Sunday in Boston. Visit to Plymouth, Mass. Letter to 
a Young Man just Married. Review of first Six Years 
of his Ministry in St. Louis. Efficient Helpers in his 
Church 279 

CHAPTER XV. 

1879— 1880. 

Trip to Europe. Union Revival Labors under Mr. Moody. 
Interesting Scenes and Incidents. Care of Young Con- 
verts. Summer in California. National Council in St. 
Louis. Dr. Goodell's Power over an Audience. Re- 
markable Prayer. Farewell Address. Excursion to 
Drury College. A Memorable Year. Thoughts from 
Note-book 295. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

1880— 1882. 

Assault upon his Life. Home Missionary Anniversary. 
Plea for "A Million Dollars." American Board Meet- 
ing in St. Louis. Giving Notices. Farewell Address. 
Letter to The Advance. Thoughts from Note-book... 31 £ 



CONTENTS. XV11 

CHAPTER XVII. 

1882— 1883. 

PAGB 

Summer Vacation of '82. Address before Ministers' Meet- 
ing, Boston. At Chautauqua. Sermon at Annual 
Meeting of the A. M. A., Cleveland. Tenth Anniversary 
of his Settlement over Pilgrim Church. Record of 
Benevolent Work. " How to Build a Church " written. 
Festival of Sons of Vermont, Chicago. Anniversary of 
A. H. M., 1883. The Emergency Fund. The Book, 
" Our Country." Address before Theological Seminary, 

Andover. Religious Meditations , 327 

1 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

The Prayer-meeting in Pilgrim Church. Dr. Goodell's 
Method and Success in Conducting it. His remarkable 
Insight into the Scriptures. His Love of them. In- 
fluence of his Sickness. Prayers and Thoughts from 
his Note-book 343 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Public Ministrations. Their Attractiveness. His Congre- 
gations. Description of a Sabbath's Services, by Col. 
C. H. Howard. Dr. Goodell's Power and Felicity in 
Public Prayer. Communion Sabbath at Pilgrim Church. 
Sacramental Prayers and Praises 357 

CHAPTER XX. 

Reminiscences of Pastoral Qualities. An Ideal Minister. 
Sympathy for Young Men. Incidents. Interest in 
Strangers. Counsel to one with hot Temper. A Peace- 
maker. His Help to Mothers. Interest in Children. 
His Application of the Truths of Religion to Needs of 
Business Men. His Sympathy with Men in Losses and 
Trouble. Religion their Consolation. His Christian 
Sagacity. His Gift of Imagination. Hopeful Cheerful- 
ness 371 



XV111 CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

PAGE 

His Skill and Success in Religious Conversation. Its Im- 
portance. His Wisdom in this. Reliance on the Word 
of God. Classes of whom the Pastor should be mindful. 
Ministry to the Afflicted. Use of Tracts and Religious 
Books. Brief Prayers from Note-book 395 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Special Ministry to the Young. Success. Belief in Child 
Piety. His Methods of Promoting their Religious 
Nurture. Main Reliance on God's Ordinances of 
Family Religion, the Sanctuary and Pastoral Ministra- 
tions. Home Religion. The Morning Prayer taught 
the Children. His Presence in the Sunday-school. 
Preaching to Children. Interest in Society of Christian 
Endeavor. Brief Prayers from Note-book. Church Ex- 
tension. Dr. Goodell's Part in it. His Power as a 
Leader. The Deacons' Meeting. Confidence of Pilgrim 
Church in his Wisdom. A " General in Church Work." 
Incident told by Rev. G. C. Adams. The Inspiring 
Faith of Dr. Goodell. Story of Compton Hill Mission. 
His Sympathy and Helpfulness to the Pastors of the New 
Churches. Incident related at his Funeral 407 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

1884. 

Travels Abroad. Winter Storm Track. London Preach- 
ers. Moody in London. Nice. Monte Carlo. Genoa. 
Pisa. Rome. Mt. Vesuvius. The Pyramids. Suez 
Canal. Tent-Life in the Holy Land. Incidents. Perils 
of Travel. Signs of Promise. Pleasure and Profit. 
Dr. Dwinell's Testimony concerning his Travels in Pal- 
estine. Dr. Selah Merrill's Account. Dr. Goodell's 
long Illness. At Smyrna. Athens. Constantinople. 
Leamington. Remarkable Answer to Prayer. Recov- 
ery 429 



CONTENTS. XIX 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

1884— 1885. 

PAGE 

Homeward Voyage. Return to his Work. Call to Wash- 
ington. A Special Communion Service with his 
" Family." Lectures at Oberlin. Opening Words. Pre- 
sides at Home Missionary Meeting, Saratoga. Speech. 
Letters. Testimony of one of his People concerning 
the Work of the Year. Visits St. Johnsbury, Vt., and 
Boston. Guest of Dr. Dunning. Increasing Spirituality. 
Interdenominational Congress at Cincinnati. Address 
on Forefathers' Day in Chicago 451 

CHAPTER XXV. 

1886. 

The Last Month. First Prayer-meeting of the Year. Com- 
munion Address. Presentiments of the End. Sabbath- 
night Discourses on " Light from Bible Lands." Letters 
to Friends. Last Prayer-meeting. Letters to his 
Daughter. The Last Sabbath. The "Good-night." 
Death. Funeral. Address of Dr. Noble. Incident at 
the Tomb. Interment at St. Johnsbury, Vt 475 



I. 

EARLY LIFE. 
1830— 1851. 



" The clew of our destiny, wander where we will, lies at the 
cradle foot." — Richter. 

" In the man whose childhood has known caresses, there is 
always a fibre of memory that can be touched to gentle issues." 
—George Eliot. 

" Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield, 

Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke ; 
How jocund did they drive their team a-field ! 
How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke ! " 

—Gray's Elegy. 



CHAPTER I. 

PARENTAGE AND EARLY LIFE. 

We desire the biographies of good men that, being 
dead, they may still speak to us. The volumes which 
record the memorable things relating to them prolong 
their influence in the world and deepen its impression, 

..." as beneath a northern sky is seen 
The sunken sunset glowing in the West, 
A tender radiance there surviving long." 

Such biographies are not confined in their interest to 
those alone who knew the persons whose lives and 
characters are described in them. They extend their 
good influence far beyond the circle of their acquaint- 
ance, as the sunset attracts the attention of many who 
never stopped during the day to consider the sun. 

Probably there is no class of books more interesting 
or more profitable to men generally than this. Men 
never tire of reading what the best of their race have 
said and done. Their ideas, and the types of piety 
presented by them, create new eras of Christian faith 
and life, by which God's kingdom is perceptibly ad- 
vanced. 

Such considerations as these have led to the prep- 
aration of this volume. The subject of it was a Chris- 
tian pastor, to whom was granted a rare success in the 
Gospel ministry. It is believed that the life of this 
pastor embodied lessons, and an example, of great 

(3) 



4 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

value. The younger men in the ministry, and those 
preparing for the ministry, would be benefited by hav- 
ing these lessons and this example set before them. 

Constans Liberty Goodell was the son of Aaron 
Goodell and Elvira Bancroft. He was born in Calais, 
Vermont, March 16, 1830. He was of pure New Eng- 
land stock — descended on his father's side from Robert 
Goodell, one of the earliest Puritan settlers of Salem, 
Massachusetts. This Puritan progenitor must have 
fully shared in the religious earnestness of his fellow- 
immigrants, since it was transmitted as a family trait to 
many of his descendants. Eleven of them entered the 
Christian ministry ; among whom was Dr. William 
Goodell, for so long time a missionary of the Ameri- 
can Board to Turkey. That venerable missionary was 
a great-uncle to the subject of this biography. On his 
mother's side Constans was equally happy in his descent. 
Her birthplace and early home was Calais, Vermont. 
Her family, in its various branches, has held a distin- 
guished place in different parts of New England, for 
earnest piety, great moral worth, and high social stand- 
ing. A branch of the family lived in Lynn, Massachu- 
setts, and furnished stanch supporters to the First 
Congregational Church of that city. Among them was 
Deacon Thomas F. Bancroft, of still fragrant memory, 
who perished a few years ago in the celebrated " Re- 
vere Disaster," which occurred on the Eastern Railroad 
between Lynn and Boston. 

From his mother, Constans derived some of his 
most marked characteristics. She was a woman of 
unusual fineness of nature — thoughtful, imaginative, 
and devout. Her prayers for her son, overheard by him 
in childhood and youth, made a deep and lasting im- 
pression upon him. He was her only child, and she 



PARENTAGE AND EARLY LIFE. 5 

lavished upon him all the wealth of her maternal love. 
A friend of Mrs. Prentiss, the gifted daughter of Dr. 
Edward Payson, says that she caught her seraphic 
spirit and mental gifts from her father's loving eyes as 
he bent over her cradle. Something like this was true 
of Dr. Goodell's mental and spiritual qualities as de- 
rived from his mother. He caught them — not from 
her eyes, but from the soul that looked through her 
eyes in love upon him from infancy. 

His father, Aaron Goodell, born in Charlton, Massa- 
chusetts, was a farmer of the common New England 
type. He lived a life of toil, as farmers in New Eng- 
land must to obtain a living from its rocky soil. The 
farm in Calais was located about a mile from the small 
village, where the post-office, and the church attended 
by his parents, and the usual country stores were found. 
Being the only child, and having such a home, in which 
he was brought up to constant toil, it may be thought 
that his early life was one of dull and lonesome monot-. 
ony. But his nature was cheerful, and the farm-house 
was situated on the top of a hill, and commanded a 
fine landscape — to the beauty of which he was alive. 
He always was enthusiastic over the scenery of his 
native town. It fed the poetic nature which he in- 
herited from his mother. Besides this enjoyment, he 
had those of hunting and fishing, for which there were 
some opportunities in the vicinity. He did not lack 
companions. There were neighbors not far off, whose 
sons and daughters were his school-mates, and the 
helpers and sharers of his amusement. 

The town of Calais, in which he grew up, " was 
noted," we are told, " for infidelity and Universalism," 
and these errors of religious opinion were associated 
with Sabbath-breaking and a fondness for vain amuse- 



6 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

ments. But there was among its inhabitants a Chris- 
tian leaven of good people of stanch evangelical charac- 
ter, whose influence saved the town from utter godless- 
ness while they lived, and through their children has 
given it an honorable name. They possessed the 
virtues of a noble race. They were industrious, frugal, 
honest, and truthful. With unfaltering fidelity, they 
brought up their children well. They trained them 
to good habits, and inspired them with noble ambi- 




BIRTHPLACE OF C. L. GOODELL. 



tions. Such people have made the towns of New 
England remarkably prolific of eminent men and 
women. The leading business men of our great Ameri- 
can cities, their most distinguished lawyers, preachers, 
editors, and our ablest statesmen, came from those 
towns. Often the history of a little town among the 
hills of New Hampshire or Vermont contains a roll of 
children of which any great city might be proud. In 
the same generation of her children with Dr. Goodeil, 
Calais numbers Dr. N. G. Clark, Secretary of the 



PARENTAGE AND EARLY LIFE. 7 

American Board, and Dr. I. E. Dvvinell of the Pacific 
Theological Seminary. These three eminent servants; 
of Christ and his Church have shed such light, — one in 
Boston, one by the Mississippi, and one by the Pacific, — 
that it has reached across the continent. So far the 
hearth fires of that little town have thrown their 
blaze ! 

The father of Constans Goodell desired that his son 
should be a farmer like himself, in the hope that he 
would remain at home with his parents, and take the 
farm into his hands, — when old age should compel 
them to relinquish it, — and permit them thus to spend 
their lives happily together with their only child. This 
picture of home happiness, however pleasing to his 
imagination, and consonant with filial love, was not 
suited to the boy's tastes. He was fond of books and 
study. In this he was unlike his father or mother, 
whose house contained, as its entire library, only three 
books, — a Bible, a hymn-book, an English Reader, — and 
an almanac. The strength of his taste for books, and 
how he contrived to gratify it, is shown by this incident 
of his boyhood. His father, thinking to attach him 
more strongly to a farmer's life, gave him a sheep, the 
yield of which was to be entirely his own. Its fleece, 
the first year, was sold for fifty cents. He might have 
bought a lamb with it, and so in time become owner of 
a flock. But, instead of doing that, he expended his 
money for a share in a small circulating library then 
existing in the town, whose literary treasures thus 
opened to him were eagerly sought. He almost de- 
voured the little collection. He read every volume in 
it ; and some volumes he read twice. As the collection 
was well chosen, and composed mainly of standard 
works, he received much benefit from it. His father 



8 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

perceiving the strong bent of his son, and despairing, 
on account of it, of his becoming a farmer, consented 
at length that he should pursue a course of study with 
a view to a liberal education. Being possessed of 
limited means he was unable to bear the whole ex- 
pense required, but he cheerfully promised to give him 
all the aid he could. 

Up to this time, the boy had attended only the pub- 
lic schools of the town, and chiefly in the. winter only, 
as his help was wanted in the summer on the farm. At 
these schools, he studied only the common English 
branches of knowledge. They allowed nothing higher; 
the teachers of them were not qualified, probably, to 
give him instruction in anything higher. Having de- 
termined to obtain a liberal education, it was necessary 
for him to leave home, and seek some school where the 
ancient languages and the higher mathematics were 
taught, in order to prepare himself for college. He de- 
cided to go to Morrisville, Vt., where there was a good 
school called the People's Academy, in which classical 
studies were taught. 

When he left home to enter this school in the 
autumn of 1848, he was eighteen years old. He never 
forgot how his father took him in his wagon and drove 
him to meet the stage that was to carry him to Morris- 
ville. As they rode together, the father, solicitous to 
smooth the way which his son, with inexperienced 
steps, was about to tread, gave him such counsel as his 
own experience of the world, quickened by love for his 
boy, prompted ; and at parting he drew from his pocket 
what money he could spare and gave this, with his 
blessing, to him. As Constans took the money from 
his father's toil-worn hand, the thought of his father's 
kindness and sacrifices in his behalf nearly overcame 



PARENTAGE AND EARLY LIFE. 9. 

him. He knew how much his father had desired him 
to remain at home, and choose a farmer's life, and what a 
disappointment to his ardent hopes it was to have him 
choose another course; and to see him now acquiesce in 
it so patiently and lovingly, and willing to help him for- 
ward in it with his hard-earned savings, deeply affected 
him. He was not led by it to alter his purpose ; a 
higher will than his had ordained it, and would not 
have it changed. But this exhibition of parental love 
sank into his memory as an inspiration for good and 
a safeguard from temptation. Such love and such sac- 
rifices should not be in vain. He would requite them, 
according to his father's earnest desire, by seeking to do 
well in the course he had chosen. He continued at 
school in Morrisville two years, until the autumn of 
1850, when he went to Bakersfield Academy, which 
then enjoyed considerable celebrity under the manage- 
ment of Dr. J. S. Spaulding, its able principal. 

Of his arrival and personal appearance, and the im- 
pression he made at Bakersfield Academy, we have the 
following interesting account from one who was a 
member of that school at the same time, and also a 
cotemporary of Dr. Goodell's at the Vermont Univer- 
sity, — the Rev. R. H. Howard, of the N. E. Conference 
of the M. E. Church : 



One afternoon in the autumn of 1850, as I was standing on 
the stoop of the old hotel at Bakersfield, Vt., the stage from 
Morrisville drove up. I had myself just arrived in the place 
from Burlington, for the purpose of attending Dr. Spaulding's 
then very popular academy. The very first to disembark from 
the stage was a young man, apparently about nineteen or 
twenty years of age, spare, beardless, a little stooping, yet of 
a very kindly expression of countenance. Dust-begrimed as he: 
was, and evidently jaded by his long ride, I yet took the liberty 



TO THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

of stepping up and introducing myself to him. This young 
man was Constans Liberty Goodell. 

At Bakersfield young Goodell presented himself a perfect 
stranger ; yet, among a company of 325 intelligent, capable 
young gentlemen and ladies, many of whom had been in at- 
tendance upon the school for years, he speedily distinguished 
himself, winning a specially commanding and influential po- 
sition. On the occasion of the first public declamation day, by 
his masterly rendering of Poe's " Raven,'' then quite new, he 
leaped at a single bound to a foremost place in the admiration 
of that great company of students. The debating club, how- 
ever, known as the Lyceum, was the scene of young Goodell's 
greatest triumphs. He became very popular as a debater. 
People flocked in from the surrounding neighborhood to hear 
him. Whenever he arose to speak, there was first applause, 
and then a hush. 



While at the academy, and later throughout his col- 
lege course, he was forced to support himself, in part, 
by such employment as poor students are able to 
find in their efforts for self-help. In the winter va- 
cations he taught school ; in term time he swept the 
rooms of the academy building, rang the bell, and per- 
formed the other duties of a janitor. These labors did 
not wound his pride, nor diminish the respect in which 
he was held. As they lightened the burdens of home, 
and helped him to attain the education he desired, they 
were cheerfully undertaken and performed with manly 
spirit. 

We have an interesting proof of the estimation in 
which his oratorical abilities were held, even in his 
school days at the academy, in a Sunday-school ad- 
dress delivered by him when a youth of nineteen, on 
the 4th of July, 1849, m his native town of Calais, at 
the invitation of its committee, before the Sabbath- 
school Association In this address, the young orator 



PARENTAGE AND EARLY LIFE. II 

so well justified the good opinion that had prompted 
the invitation, that its publication was called for, and it 
was issued in a neat pamphlet, a copy of which we have 
seen. The address thus preserved is remarkable for 
several reasons. It is remarkable that this production 
of a young man, not then a Christian, should be char- 
acterized not only by such literary ability, but by such 
just views and sentiments concerning the work and in- 
fluence of Sunday-schools. It is remarkable also for 
the skill evinced in adapting it to the time and occasion 
when it was spoken. It has the patriotic ring of a 
Fourth of July address, and the sober thoughtfulness 
appropriate to a discourse made at a Sunday-school 
Convention, so that we can easily imagine that his au- 
dience was stirred by turns to patriotic cheers and vis- 
ible enthusiasm over the heroic deeds of their ances- 
tors and the greatness of their country, and to a serious 
resolve to take hold of the work of the Sunday-school 
and labor more earnestly to extend its benefits. We 
detect in it unmistakably some notes of the strain of 
eloquence which kindled the enthusiasm and religious 
zeal of those who heard his memorable address on 
Forefathers' Day in Chicago, a few weeks before he 
<died. 



II. 

IN COLLEGE. 

1851— 1855. 



u What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to a 
human soul." — Addison. 

" Ye halls, in whose seclusion and repose 
Phantoms of fame, like exhalations, rose, 

What passing generations fill these halls, 
What passing voices echo from these walls ? 

How beautiful is youth ! how bright it gleams 
With its illusions, aspirations, dreams ! " 

—Longfellow. 



CHAPTER II. 

COLLEGE LIFE— CONVERSION— GRADUATION. 

Having completed at Bakersfield his preparation for 
college, Constans Goodell entered the University of 
Vermont at Burlington, in September, 1 851. This col- 
lege is one of the smaller colleges of our land, but it 
has always held a high rank because of the thorough- 
ness of its discipline, the excellence of its course of 
study, and the ability of the men composing its faculty. 
An alumnus of the college, Rev. C. W. Thompson, 
who, as an undergraduate, was a cotemporary of 
Goodell, though not of the same class, says of its 
faculty at that time : " It was the time of strong men 
in the university. Take them altogether (whatever 
may have been true of individual men at other times), 
it was probably the strongest faculty ever at Burling- 
ton. There was among them, Prof. Tony (the elder), 
the translator of Neander, and the successor of Dr. 
Marsh in the chair of Metaphysics, and a truly great, 
and learned man ; and Prof. Calvin Pease, afterward 
President of the college, and still later pastor of the 
First Presbyterian Church, Rochester, N. Y., in the 
chair of Greek ; and Prof. W. G. T. Shedd in the chair 
of English Literature, and his successor, Dr. N. G. 
Clark. Judge J. A. Jameson, of Chicago, was tutor, 
and Dr. Worthington Smith was President, who was a 
man alongside of Tony and Pease." The instruction 
and personal influence of such an able corps of teachers 

(15) 



l6 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

were very stimulating, and Goodell was responsive to 
them. 

He was as fortunate in his cotemporaries among the 
undergraduates as he was in his teachers. The classes 
of the college were large in those days, and the men 
composing them were of a high order for mental ability 
and moral character, as is proved by the distinction 
which many of them have won since leaving college- 
Among them were Prof. Henry B. Buckham, of the 
State Normal School, Buffalo, N. Y. Prof. John Ells- 
worth Goodrich, of the University of Vermont ; Dr. 
Philojudson Farnsworth, Iowa City; Rev. Simeon Gil- 
bert, D.D., Chicago ; Rev. Chas. W. Thompson, North 
Woodstock, Conn.; Judge Horace Henry Powers, Morris- 
ville, Vt. ; Dr. Edward Bradley, New York City ; I. N. 
Camp, Esq., Chicago ; Rev. Lewis Francis, Brooklyn, 
N. Y. ; Rev. G. F. Herrick, D.D. ; Judge C. A. Kent, De- 
troit, Mich. ; Rev. George B. Spalding, D.D., Syracuse, 
N. Y., and quite a number of others equally worthy of 
mention. 

In the constant intercourse with such associates in 
the class-room, and in the societies and daily life of the 
college, and through the intimacies formed with some 
of them, continued through life, he found inspiration 
and motive to do good work. In that company of 
splendid young men he displayed mental abilities which 
fully matched those of the best. He gave as well as 
received of those good influences which quicken the 
students in the atmosphere of a college. He was popu- 
lar as " a good fellow," and won admiration for excel- 
lence in those lines in which he was fitted especially to 
excel. 

Dr. N. G. Clark, speaking from his present recollec- 
tion of those days, says : 



COLLEGE LIFE— CONVERSION — GRADUATION. IJ 

Dr. Good ell was older when he entered college than the 
average of his class, and from the first had a manly bearing 
that inspired respect and confidence. It was quite impossible 
to have suspected him of anything low or dishonorable, and he 
soon became a general favorite. His preparation for college 
was none of the best, and his rank as a scholar, especially in the 
mathematics and physical sciences, was not what it might 
otherwise have been. The minutiae of Differential Calculus 
had not the attraction for him possessed by the English Classics. 

He studied good authors, as he afterward studied men, and 
the result was seen in his peculiarly racy, pithy style, and in the 
condensation of arguments often into single phrases. When 
he appeared on the platform for a public address, there was 
always an expectation of something of value, something worthy 
of attention. There was in his manner, look, and tones of 
voice, at that early date, something anticipative of his future 
career as a popular speaker. It was not so much the thought 
as the way of putting it that attracted his audience. There was 
even then that study of the situation, that rare adaptation of 
language to his thought, and to the common thought of others, 
and that playful, genial humor, which became so marked in his 
after life. 

This view of him, given by one of his teachers, is 
similar to what is reported by some of his fellow 
students. 

Judge Charles A. Kent, of Detroit, writes : 

I can see him now through the vista of thirty-two or three 
years. His most striking characteristic was a constant overflow 
of good spirits. He enjoyed life thoroughly, and he made 
others enjoy it. He was very companionable, and very popular 
with both sexes, and all classes. He was not a great scholar 
nor specially diligent in the studies of the college curriculum. 
He cared more for literature than for any of the sciences. His 
chief ambition seemed to be to cultivate the art of public speak- 
ing, and in this he was very successful. I remember the great 
effect his recitations produced. Though not a great student, 
his abilities were such as to command universal respect and 



1 8 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

esteem, and no doubt he was deemed one of the first men in 
his class. 

Rev. George B. Spaulding, D.D., who was a class- 
mate of Judge Kent, in the class behind Dr. Goodell's, 
writes : 

His native State was my own ; his place of birth was near my 
own ; we passed three years together within the walls of the 
same college. I recall his personal appearance, his social quali- 
ties, and his literary fame; but there existed three barriers 
which, to my lasting regret, shut me away from the great en- 
joyment and inspiration which intimate companionship with 
such a large, generous nature would not have failed to yield me. 
Constans Goodell was "an upper classman." That was almost 
enough to keep us apart. But the more serious obstacle to 
even friendly intercourse was in the " society " bounds which 
separated us with wider chasm of prejudice than that between 
Jew and Samaritan of old ; and, besides this, Goodell was a 
Christian, and I was not. How the slow years long ago wore 
away the poor judgments and sad inappreciation of those early 
days, and I came at last by a oneness of faith to know him, 
and to admire the noble qualities of his character, and the 
grand success of his career! 

I recall him, then, only as seen by me at a distance, a student 
tall and handsome in person, having already taken on some 
of the sturdiness of early manhood ; genial in face, voice, and 
bearing, with a large repute as the wit, the poet, and the rheto- 
rician of his class. I remember very clearly his " chapel per- 
formances "; how he commanded the intense interest of his au- 
dience from the beginning to the close of his oration by the 
perfect naturalness, as well as grace, of his manner in tone, and 
gesture, and by the fine poetic strain that ran like a silver thread 
through his earnest thoughts. He did not orate in vehement 
utterance, or rise into impassioned speech or feeling. In an 
easy conversational way he let his bright, witty sentences flow 
out upon us. None failed to be charmed by his glad exuberant 
spirit, the sparkle of his thought, and the perfect rhythm of his 
expression. I have heard him since, before great religious con- 



COLLEGE LIFE — CONVERSION— GRADUATION. [9 

vocations, when the earnestness of a mighty conviction and 
the sweep of largest thought filled his utterance ; but even then, 
the sweetness and poetry which fascinated me in his college 
orations, still asserted their power over me. 

The testimonies above given bear emphatic witness 
to the marked literary tastes and studies, and the poetic 
vein which distinguished him as a college student. His 
teachers recognized and encouraged his superior powers 
in this line. " The literary taste of the faculty," says a 
college cotemporary, " was, as we thought, very severe. 
We used to say, if you have one sentence in your piece 
which you esteem very fine, or any passage you con- 
sider especially beautiful, the professor will say, ' Cut 
it out.' And as for poetry, no man would be thought 
fit, for a moment, to write a poem for a public perform- 
ance. It was a surprise to the college world, and a great 
feather in Goodell's cap that he was allowed to have a 
poem at Junior exhibition. But they knew their man, 
and he did not disappoint them. It is the only poem 
in the history of the college exhibitions that I know 
anything about ; of course I mean, by an undergrad- 
uate." 

The poem just referred to was much admired at the 
time, and gained such celebrity that it was published 
in Miss Hemenway's " Poets and Poetry of Vermont." 
Its theme was " Ethan Allen." In this poem there 
was a song-like outburst of praise to the hero of Ticon- 
deroga, which was the gem of the piece. It came to him 
unsought, we are told, as late one evening he was walk- 
ing up the beautiful street from the town to College 
Hill. It was an illustration of a characteristic of his 
mind, i. e., that truth came to him through the imagin- 
ation and sympathy, or through intuition rather than 
by labored endeavor of the logical faculty. 



20 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

The extracts above given from the letters of his co- 
temporaries in college are sufficient to afford us a fairly 
good and clear conception of his character and stand- 
ing there during the greater part of his entire course. 
They sustain the account of it given by Mr. Howard, 
his fellow-student at Bakersfield and at the Vermont 
University, and published in the Congregationalist soon 
after Dr. Goodell's death. 

He was not apparently ambitious to shine as a scholar, in the 
technical sense of the term, though always a broad reader, and 
a diligent and critical student of the best English literature. 
.... Meantime, though by no means striving for the mastery 
as regards class position, there was no more popular, admired, 
or influential man in his class. He was, as may be readily im- 
agined, .... a sort of universal favorite, a result to which his 
rare wit, kindly, chastened humor, excellent sense, maturity of 
judgment, manliness, and wonderful insight into human nature, 
not less than his brilliant and popular talent, naturally con- 
tributed. 

As he appeared to his fellow-students and teachers in 
the college, so did he appear everywhere. The people 
of Burlington were attracted by his genial manners and 
pleasant wit ; and he soon became a favorite with all 
classes in the town, and a welcome visitor at their 
homes. Of a certain reading circle which existed in 
town, he was the leader. Wherever he spent his win- 
ters in teaching school, he won troops of friends, and 
was very popular, by reason of his bright social qualities 
and his literary attainments. Two of these winters of 
his college days were spent in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. 
During one of these winters — that of 1854— a liter 
ary circle, known as "The Excelsior," used to meet 
in the parlors of that town, and he was its brightest 
ornament. He brought in bi-weekly contributions to 



COLLEGE LIFE — CONVERSION — GRADUATION. 21 

this literary club — sometimes written, more often in 
easy, flowing speech, — which were the delight of all. In 
those pleasant gatherings he first met her who after- 
ward became his wife. He did not then attract her 
with special interest. He had not yet experienced the 
change which gave to him a few years later the attrac- 
tion which won her regard. That change — his conver- 
sion — occurred during the Senior year of his college 
course. The following interesting account of it, from 
the pen of his early friend and fellow-student, Rev. R. 
H. Howard, was published in the Congregationalist soon 
after Dr. Goodell's death : 

Toward the close of Goodell's last college year — 1855 — a re- 
markable work of grace, beginning in the Methodist church in 
the village below, under the labors of Dr. Redfield, a popular, 
eloquent, and successful revivalist, gradually spread up to the 
college. Goodell, meantime, with several other college students, 
had become greatly interested in Dr. Redfield and his meetings, 
not so much on any religious grounds as on the score of his 
eloquence and the marvelous sweetness of his singing. The 
writer will never forget seeing Goodell and an intimate and 
gifted classmate, by the name of Robinson, night after night 
elbowing their way to the front, and sitting flat on the carpet in 
front of the pulpit — the house being too full to obtain seats — 
for the sake of listening to the wonderful oratorical flights of 
that now long since departed, but gifted, evangelist — little 
dreaming, meanwhile, that he was himself so soon successfully 
to engage in the same glorious work of calling sinners to re- 
pentance. Once the revival had started in college, Robinson, 
just referred to, a young man of superbly handsome person, and 
a natural born orator, yet hitherto reckless and sadly dissipated, 
was one of the first to be converted. Goodell, his chum and 
inseparable companion, heretofore easy-going, careless, and in- 
clined to skepticism touching the matter of religion, soon fol- 
lowed. 

The circumstances of Goodell's conversion were, to say the 
least, unique. The immediate instrumentality in the case was 



22 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

a pious, devoted classmate, long since deceased, named Roberts. 
He was a quiet, sedate fellow, afterward a lawyer, and became, 
during this season of religious interest, a sort of college evan- 
gelist. One afternoon, on the " Day of Prayer for Colleges," it 
is said, he entered Goodell's room, and asked if he had any objec- 
tion to hearing him read a chapter in the Bible. Consent being 
granted, the chapter was read, after which Roberts asked his 
friend, if he was willing to kneel while he prayed with him. He 
consented. After a brief and earnest petition, Roberts turned 
to Goodell and asked him to pray. Not to be outdone, the lat- 
ter offered prayer. He used afterward to say that that prayer 
never went higher than the top of his head. Roberts now 
quietly withdrew. Left thus alone to his reflections, Goodell 
began to feel annoyed, not to say angered, to think he had thus 
humbled and committed himself. He was in anything but an 
amiable mood. However, the hand of the Lord was upon 
him. The careless, godless, worldly-minded student now 
strangely felt inclined to take up his long-neglected Bible and 
read 't for himself. As he read, he became more and more 
convicted of sin. So deep, at length, became his compunction 
that he finally fell on his knees, and then and there, all alone 
in his room, prayed for forgiveness. God at once spoke peace 
to his soul. He was converted. A few evenings after, at the 
college prayer-meeting, the writer, himself a recent convert, 
had the pleasure of listening to his first testimony. The late 
Professor Calvin Pease was in the chair; George F. Herrick, 
D.D., missionary, was present, and took part in that memorable 
meeting. Goodell rose at length and very quietly said : " I see 
the light on the distant mountains, and am expecting soon the 
full glory of the Sun of Righteousness." And that full glory 
came on apace. 



The influence of his conversion upon his character 
and conduct was immediate and very remarkable. The 
change wrought in him profoundly impressed all who 
knew him. It is still remembered and spoken of by 
them as extraordinary. The testimonies of different 
witnesses all agree. " I think," says Rev. C. W. Thomp- 



COLLEGE LIFE — CONVERSION — GRADUATION. 23 

son, " it is the general opinion of the men who knew 
Dr. Goodell in college, that it was his conversion that 
made him. He was generally correct in habits before, 
had good tastes and an exuberance of sentiment and 
fancy, but it was a great change when he was converted. 
He was never in real earnest before, never worked hard 
before." 

" It gave him," says his friend Judge Kent, "a fixed 
ambition, and roused his faculties to do their utmost 
work. If it had not been for this, his career in life 
would have been very different, and his success, even 
from a worldly point of view, would have been much 
less. The essential condition of all great endeavor, 
moral and intellectual, is a motive strong enough to 
kindle into full activity all one's powers. The love of 
Christ was to him this great motive." 

The impression thus received by his fellow-students 
was also the impression made upon his teachers. " He 
was a changed man," says Dr. N. G. Clark. " The easy 
life of one interested in good letters and genial com- 
panionship gave way to a moral earnestness that was 
to bring every power and faculty of his being into sub- 
jection to his Lord." 

His conversion had the immediate effect of improv- 
ing his scholarship. In the few months that remained 
of his college course, he shone as never before in the 
class room, and at graduation was given a place of 
distinction. The date of his conversion, as record- 
ed by himself in the few biographical memoranda left 
to his family, was April II, 1855. He was then twenty- 
five years of age. 

The most noticeable effect of his conversion, perhaps, 
was the zeal it inspired in him for the religious welfare 
of others. His room-mate, I. N. Camp, Esq., of Chi- 



24 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

cago, for whose conversion he successfully labored,, 
says: "His earnestness and anxiety to converse upon 
the subject with all of his acquaintances at that time was 
very marked and striking, and his influence during that 
time was far greater than any other man's in that direc- 
tion." " I remember meeting him in one of the college 
rooms," says Rev. Lewis Francis, " and he came up to 
me and put his arm on my shoulders and said, ' Francis, 
I have settled it. How is it with you ? ' I could tell 
him I thought I had, too, and we clasped hands in 
Christian fellowship and rejoiced together." 

He made a public profession of his faith by uniting 
with the First Congregational Church in Burlington, 
Vermont, the first Sunday of July following. With 
him there were fifty-four others then received into the 
fellowship of the Church, among whom were Mrs. 
George F. Edmonds, wife of the distinguished U. S. 
Senator, Rev. Lewis Francis, Rev. E. E. Herrick, Rev. 
John P. Torrey, Rev. W. W. Livingston, and Prof. H. 
A. P. Torrey. 

The circumstances under which he was converted, 
led Dr. Goodell to feel a deep interest all his life in the 
religious condition of our American colleges. He 
made much of " the Day of Prayer for Colleges," mag- 
nified its importance, earnestly recommended its ob- 
servance, and gave to its services his best thoughts and 
warmest prayers. 

He also greatly loved his Alma Mater for her influ- 
ence upon his religious development, as well as for the 
mental discipline and the liberal culture he obtained 
from her. His fond affection extended to everything 
relating to her; her history, her honorable sons, her 
faculty, her classic halls, the unrivalled beauty of her 
situation, crowning the hill and overlooking the match- 



COLLEGE LIFE— CONVERSION— GRADUATION. 2$ 

less panorama of town, lake, and the distant Adiron- 
dack Mountains. He revisited the town and college 
whenever he could, to revive the grateful memories of 
his college life, and to reimpress upon his mind that 
glorious picture visible from College Hill. That pic- 
ture had become a part of himself, either as a beauti- 
ful memory, or as a type of his religious hopes. The 
lake suggested the sea of glass ; the mountains glowing 
in the West, the heavenly hills. 

In the College Library at Burlington, Vermont, 
there is a manuscript book pertaining to the Class of 
1855, and containing, among other things, little auto- 
biographies of different members of the class, written 
at the time of their graduation. We are indebted to 
his class-mate, the Rev. Charles W. Clark, for a copy of 
that of Dr. Goodell. It is so brief, and so characteristic, 
that we insert it entire. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

" What's his name, 
Or where's his hame, 
I dinna choose to tell." 



My father emigrated from Massachusetts and made 
" an opening in the world " on the highest unoccupied 
hill in Calais, a wild, mountainous town in Washington 
County, Vermont, where he lives to-day. There, in this 
weather-stained farm-house, I came into the breathing 
world, on the 16th day of March, 1830. It was a simple, 
commonplace event, and yet a most important era in my 
life. For years I was very weak and small, but since I 
have come up to six feet two I am tolerably strong in 
all save, perhaps, the last foot. My parents were plain, 
industrious farmers, and here I penned my father's flocks 
on Calais hills till my eighteenth year, " tilling with the 
2 



26 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

hoe the paternal acres," excepting an occasional visit to 
Massachusetts. 

Schools were few and distant ; whist parties and balls 
were near and frequent. Hence my heels and not my 
head received most perfect development. Calais fish 
would bite on the Sabbath, and I sorely tempted them ; 
and without learning of old Isaac Walton, I became a 
dextrous angler, though in after years I found it of no 
service in studying Euclid's angles. Like Nimrod, I 
was also a mighty hunter before the Lord on His very 
day. In fact, my native hills heard oftener the crack of 
the rifle on the Lord's day than the sound of prayer and 
praise. 

In my fourteenth year, my father took his first news- 
paper, the Ver?no?it Patriot, and there is nothing in 
the past so vividly stamped on my mind as every article 
of that first paper. It was my life for two years. The 
family library consisted of three books : a small Bible 
in poor print, the " Village Harmony," from which my 
mother received her accomplishments in music, and the 
" Understanding Reader." In my sixteenth year I pur- 
chased a share in the Calais circulating library. In two 
years I had read through all the travels and novels. I 
began big on philosophy. I soon unfitted myself for 
farming, and called down paternal sympathy on my 
head rather than ire, as I expected. My father (how I 
thanked him then, and bless him now !) said, if I had no 
taste to till his farm, I might go and be with books for- 
ever. This cost him his most cherished hope, while it 
gratified my strongest and almost only desire. I laugh 
now as I think back upon those two years, and see how 
many times I was caught with the book when I was 
thought to have been at work, and then how awkward I 
felt as I dragged a-field. 

I fitted at Morrisville and Bakersfield under a half 
score of teachers, and with no competent guide, no 



COLLEGE LIFE— CONVERSION— GRADUATION. 27 

definite end in view ; and when I came to college ray 
knowledge covered over as much ground as Alexander's 
Empire, and was just about as useful to me. I had dab- 
bled in poetry, and " spoken in public on the stage," 
and published some, but, kind oblivion, keep it forever 
under thy dark wing ! 

At the academy I had been solemnly installed upon 
the throne of Gasdom, but. soon I abdicated power in 
favor of worthier members of the Dunciad. Since I 
came to college, what I have done is better known to the 
class, and what I have not done is better known to the 
faculty, than I can write. If I had been better fitted — 
if I had begun earlier — if I had had a good mentor when 
I did begin, .... but no matter. In such a case even, 
it pays to enter college, and doubly so to be of the Class 
of '55. C. L. Goodell. 

July 2, 1855. 
University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt. 



III. 

AT THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 

1855— 1858. 



"Still I am learning." 

—Michael Angelo. 

" Life is strong, and still 
Bears onward to new tasks, 
And yet not so, but that there may survive 
Something to us ; sweet odors reach us yet, 
Brought sweetly from the fields long left behind." 

— Trench. 

" The teachers who in earlier days 
Led our bewildered feet through learning's maze ; 

They are no longer here ; they all are gone. 

O, never from the memory of my heart, 
Your dear, paternal image shall depart. 

How grateful am 1 for that patient care, 
All my life long my language shall declare." 

— Longfellow. 



CHAPTER III. 

HIS ENTRANCE TO THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 

Up to the time of his conversion, Constans Goodell 
had thought of the law as a profession. By that event 
his thoughts and purposes were turned into another 
course. His mother's remembered prayers and wishes 
had much to do with the change. Many years after 
this, in 1876, in the remarkable address upon "The 
Duty of Churches to give their Choicest Sons to the 
Ministry," given before the Theological Seminary, Chi- 
cago, at its anniversary, he said : 

I shall never forget those college vacations in the old 
homestead, in which I overheard the voice of a mother 
at twilight wrestling in prayer with God, that the son 
might be born again and become a herald of the cross. 
Because of her prayers I stand in this presence to-day, 
and urge upon mothers the value of early consecration 
of their sons to Christ. After much thought and prayer 
I felt it to be my duty to preach the Gospel of Christ. 

With him duty had now become both law and privi- 
lege, and he hastened with alacrity to act upon its 
promptings. On graduating from college he went, 
therefore, directly to Andover Theological Seminary, 
in September, 1855. 

He was as fortunate in his teachers and cotemporaries 
at the Theological Seminary, as he had been at college. 
Those were the palmiest days of Andover Seminary. 

(31) 



32 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Professor Edwards A. Park, D.D., then in the meridian 
of his fame and strength, held the chair of Systematic 
Theology; Professor Austin Phelps, D.D., the chair of 
Sacred Rhetoric ; Prof. W. G. T. Shedd, D.D., who 
had been one of his teachers during a part of his col- 
lege course at Burlington, occupied the chair of Eccle- 
siastical History ; Prof. E. P. Barrows, D.D., had the 
chair of Hebrew, and Prof. Calvin E. Stowe, D.D., the 
chair of the New Testament Greek and Literature. 

These men were all eminent in their special depart- 
ments. Prof. Park was never surpassed as a brilliant 
and stimulating lecturer upon the Christian doctrines. 
The young men who crowded his lecture-room had 
their interest excited to the highest degree in the doc- 
trinal discussions into which he led them, and their 
minds were kept on the stretch to the very last. That 
lecture-room was a place for the dissolving of mental 
clouds, and for the acquisition of clear ideas. Under 
the Professor's clear reasoning and felicitous illustra- 
tions, many of the perplexing difficulties which invested 
the subjects of man's sin and redemption melted away, 
and there grew up in the mind a system of doctrines 
that was both consistent with reason and experience, 
and Biblical. It has been long expected that those 
lectures, which gave such delight and help to so many 
successive classes of theological students, would be 
published to the world ; and we hope that the venera- 
ble Professor, now spending the evening of his days at 
Andover, may have the time and the strength to pre- 
pare them for the press. 

Professor Phelps, from his chair of Sacred Rhetoric, 
gave substantially as lectures, what he afterward pub- 
lished, when he retired from his professorship, in the 
three volumes entitled, " English Style in Public Dis- 



ENTRANCE TO THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 33 

course," " Men and Books," and the " Theory of 
Preaching." These volumes afford very interesting and 
profitable reading. His lectures, which presented the 
substance of them to successive classes of Theological 
students, were even more interesting, because of the 
impression his fine personality made upon them. He 
seemed to them then, and seems to them still, in the 
light of memory, an ideal lecturer. He was himself an 
embodiment of Christian courtesy and refinement, and 
a good model of that art of preaching in which he in- 
structed them. With a rare sweetness of spirit and 
perfection of manner, he combined great vigor and 
strength of thought. Underneath a calm exterior, and 
subdued tones of voice, there was an intensity of feel- 
ing and of expression which was most impressive. His 
soul, in preaching, was all on fire, but there was no vo- 
ciferation. The churches of the land owe him a great 
debt, for the stamp of scholarly culture and Christian 
manhood which he gave to the students of his classes. 
He gave to them, also, a lofty conception of what a 
sermon should be, and of the high privilege enjoyed 
by the man who is permitted, year after year, in the 
ministry of the Gospel, to address a congregation of 
hearers upon themes so lofty, and with aims so high 
and holy, as engage the preacher's attention. 

Professor Shedd, who held the chair of Ecclesiastic- 
al History, was as remarkable, perhaps, and as impress- 
ive in his teaching and influence, as either of the two 
men just described. His theology was decidedly and 
extremely old school. His lectures upon the History 
of Christian Doctrines plainly showed this. His ex- 
planations of the dogmas of Original Sin and Man's 
Depravity, were those of an advocate of views now 
grown somewhat antiquated. He did not carry the 
2* 



34 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

assent of his hearers to the same extent as the Profes- 
sor of Systematic Theology did. His prelections, 
therefore, excited antagonism in many. It was evident 
that some regarded as preposterous opinions that he 
firmly held. But his lectures were valued even by those 
who most strongly dissented from his opinions. His 
courtesy was unvarying; his patience, under adverse 
questioning, unfailing. He possessed remarkable pow- 
ers of clear, incisive statement. He stimulated the 
minds of his hearers to earnest thought. His own 
mind was charged with energy. No one felt dull while 
he was speaking. He gave them some hard nuts to 
crack. In the effort to smash them, they often got 
warm, and were much benefited by the exercise. 

Professor Barrows, who gave instruction in Hebrew, 
was a laborious and painstaking teacher. His mind 
was saturated with the rich devotional sentiment and 
language of the Old Testament Scriptures. His prayers 
were particularly inspiring and delightful. They re- 
freshed those who heard them, as a breeze from " a 
field which the Lord hath blessed." 

Professor Stow had as marked an individuality as 
any of his associates. His sharp wit, his bluff, hearty 
good nature, and his sturdy common sense made him 
much beloved. No warmer, kinder heart was ever found 
by us than we found in him. As an interpreter of the 
New Testament Scriptures, he possessed some prime 
qualifications. Among them was an honesty of mind 
that was not ashamed to say, " I do not know," when 
in doubt or ignorance concerning any passage. 

We have lingered over these sketches of his teachers 
at the Seminary, because of their great influence over 
their pupils. Their influence was not so much in mould- 
ing their opinions as in stimulating them with the 



ENTRANCE TO THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 35 

desire to learn the truth of God for themselves. They 
inspired us with zeal for study, and they set before us 
worthy aims. The best teachers are of this sort. 
They give us inspirations, rather than ready-made 
opinions. It will be inferred from the reported effect 
of his conversion upon him, that Goodell entered the 
seminary with a far more serious purpose to do good 
work than he had when he entered college. If " never 
in real earnest before," he was in earnest now. He felt 
that God had called him to His service, and that this 
call required him to do his best. The man who has 
been called to the ministry of the Gospel should not 
shirk his work, but be faithful to it in all particulars. 
Constans Goodell acted upon this principle while in the 
seminary. From the first he won the respect of his 
teachers and his class-mates by his conscientious fidelity 
to his duty. 

Professor Phelps says of him : 

The same completeness in duty characterized him there 
which he afterward manifested as an organizer of churchly 
work. He neglected nothing. Probably he had a choice of 
departments of study, but one could not know what it was by 
his execution of duty. The thing required was the thing to be 
done. Great or small, that did not seem to concern him. We 
had at that time a weekly exercise in declamation. It was not 
conducted by an expert in the department, and was unpopular. 
Many shirked it. Few valued it. Those who needed it most 
were most negligent of it. It was a weekly bore to us all, or 
nearly all. If anybody could have reasonably neglected it, it 
was Goodell. He was a born orator. Yet one of my most dis- 
tinct recollections of him is the manliness with which he dis- 
charged his duty when his turn came. I do not suppose that 
he prized it more than others who made a great fuss over it. 
But it was the duty of the hour, and, therefore, it was the thing 
to be done. He did it well. He did it as he did everything else, 
as if he loved the doing. 1 name this because it was character- 



36 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

istic of the man in everything. Nothing was insignificant if it 
was the thing to be done. I suspect that his subsequent use- 
fulness was largely due to this completeness of range in his 
ideas of duty. Whatever he felt that he ought to do he could 
not help doing enthusiastically. It was in the man, and came 
out ebulliently in everything he undertook. If I do not mis- 
take, it was this enthusiasm of conscience, this reverence for 
the "ought," which gave him the power of command which he 
held so well in hand from the very first of his public life. Such 
men are always born leaders. They do not struggle for leader- 
ship; it comes to them because other men need them. So it 
was with Goodell. I recall no other man whose public life was 
a more natural outgrowth from his life in the seminary than 
his ; and both were rooted in an intense conscience. Such men 
are always glad workers. 

Just this is my thought of him as I look back to those golden 
years. 



They were golden years, indeed, both for their mem- 
ories and their fruitage. In them Goodell learned to 
find his highest joy in duty; to convert irksome re- 
quirements into privileges of highest value by doing 
them for Christ's sake. The wisdom and habit thus 
acquired contributed greatly to the success he achieved 
in life. He faltered not before difficult enterprises ; if 
duty called, he was sure that there was joy and satis- 
faction in attempting them. 

A strong symmetrical mind can be produced in no 
other way than through such conscientious performance 
of the various work required of it. A man needs for 
his best good two kinds of work — that which is agree- 
able to him, and that which is irksome. In the one his 
strength probably lies, in the other his deficiencies. 
The latter, though not agreeable, is useful as a mental 
and moral gymnastic. He cannot afford to neglect it. 
He does so at the risk of mental deformity or puerile 



ENTRANCE TO THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 37 

incompetency which moves men's pity, or forfeits their 
respect. 

Goodell's faithful diligence gained for him a high po- 
sition in the seminary. " My impressions of him as a 
character" says Professor Phelps, "are very positive, 
not so much for one trait more than for another, but 
for his soundness and symmetry. He was recognized 
by all, I think, as the leading mind of his class." His 
instructor in Hebrew, the now venerable Professor Bar- 
rows, when visited by Dr. Goodell the year before he 
died, returned to him a grateful acknowledgment for 
his remembered faithfulness to the work of his depart- 
ment when a theological student. It had given him 
such satisfaction at the time that the memory of it was 
a joy so many years afterward. 

With fidelity to his allotted work he united a genu- 
ine, living piety. Too often the seminary is a place of 
retrogression in piety. Engrossed with various studies, 
with but little active Christian work in which to exer- 
cise itself, the heart is liable to grow cold. It was not 
so with Goodell. His life in the seminary was a prog- 
ress in piety as well as mental attainments. This was 
due, in part, to his eager, constant study of the Bible. 
He studied it not only for mastery of its contents, but 
for his own personal improvement, and because he 
greatly relished it. It was daily food for his soul. So 
recently converted, he felt that he had special need of 
its nourishment, and the words of the apostle Peter to 
new converts, " As new-born babes, desire the sincere 
milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby : if so be ye 
have tasted that the Lord is gracious/' were accepted as 
a command from heaven. He rightly believed that the 
primary and most important reason for studying the 
Bible, in the case of a minister of the Gospel as well as 



38 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

of other men, is that he may inform and strengthen his 
own faith. This is more important than to find proof 
texts, or texts for sermons, or prayer-meeting talks. 

It were well if this practice of reading the English 
Bible for their personal edification were more diligently 
pursued by the young men of our theological semina- 
ries. They study the Bible to acquire a knowledge of 
the Hebrew language and the peculiar idioms of the 
New Testament Greek; they also study certain por- 
tions of it exegetically, and critically, to obtain a correct 
interpretation of difficult passages, — to master the argu- 
ment, or to fortify some generally accepted doctrine : — 
these studies are assigned to them by their teachers, 
and they are required to give good account of them in 
their class-rooms. But more important than these spe- 
cific studies is that private devotional reading of the 
Bible which they give no account of, and which they 
are tempted to neglect, and will neglect, unless held to 
it by conscience, or a spiritual hunger that craves the 
religious nourishment it gives. 

It is only by such devotional reading that the strong- 
est faith and the deepest convictions are wrought in the 
soul. It gives the faith and the convictions of experi- 
ence. By familiar converse with the mind of God 
through His word, the soul discerns the truth He has 
there revealed. The ear of man's soul recognizes the 
voice of his God. 

" He beholds the light and whence it flows, 
He sees it in his joy." 

One who has had this spiritual experience of God's 
truth rests on solid ground. He feels certain about it. 
This is the faith that the preacher of Christianity wants ; 



ENTRANCE TO THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 39 

the only faith, indeed, that can successfully endure 
the strain of life, and arm him with conquering might. 
Dr. Storrs most justly and felicitously says : " The 
kind of faith, if such it may be called, which is based 
simply upon extrinsic proofs, is never one to quicken 
joy, to inspire to service, or to win from others sympa- 
thetic response. It fails in the grand emergencies of 
life. It cannot have the settled security, the vital 
energy, it cannot inspire the overmastering enthusiasm, 
which belong to the faith that is born of experience. 
To take the just distinction of Maurice, a man may 
come to hold a religion in consequence of its external 
proofs ; but that religion will not hold him in its con- 
stant, subtle, and stimulating grasp, except through his 
experience of it." * 

The faith of Dr. Goodell was of this experimental 
sort. He obtained it by constant converse with God 
in His Word, a habit which was begun when he was a 
student in the seminary, and which continued through 
life. 

His piety in the seminary was exercised and strength- 
ened by another means — that of Christian work. As 
he had opportunity, he sought to do good, and to win 
souls to Christ. He was active in the Sunday-schools 
and prayer-meetings of Andover; in Christian labors 
among the students of Phillips Academy ; in such efforts 
at preaching as theological students may perform. Two 
of his long vacations were spent in Bristol, Vt., in the 
service of the Home Missionary Society. " On his ar- 
rival in that town," we are told, " he could scarcely find 
any one to afford him entertainment. After the first 
Sabbath and sermon, however, there was no lack of in- 
vitations for entertainment ; and it is doubtful if that 

* " The Divine Origin of Christianity," etc. 



40 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

old church has ever since been crammed as it was 
during Mr. Goodell's brief pastorate there." There are 
impressive evidences in his private letters of the remark- 
able success of his brief ministry in that place. The 
people were desirous that he should come and settle 
permanently among them as their pastor, and made 
very touching appeals to him to persuade him to do 
so. Those appeals greatly moved him, and he was 
strongly inclined to listen favorably to them, but the 
Providence of God directed otherwise. He, nevertheless, 
left his mark upon the community. A considerable re- 
ligious interest was awakened by his labors, and quite 
a large number of persons were led to begin the Chris- 
tian life. He threw himself into his work with great 
ardor, revealing even then the qualities which afterward 
so greatly distinguished him. In some of his letters 
written at that time, we obtain glimpses of the sort of 
work he did and the success attained. In one of these 
he wrote : 

I have done much of personal labor in order to bring 
those who stand back and wait, out upon higher and 
more active ground, and with some degree of success. 
The town needs, above all things, a church and min- 
ister ; and when we think of what has been done the past 
year, it does seem that more than half the ground is 
passed over toward an established church and a settled 
minister. 

Again he says : 

It is a place very dear to me. It is the scene of my 
first labor, and where children of the kingdom were first 
born to me through the blessing of God on my preach- 
ing. 



ENTRANCE TO THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 41 
He says of a Sunday service : 

I was permitted to speak with great ease and freedom ; 
the audience was attentive and deeply solemn. I walked 
over live coals Saturday night, but the Lord made me 
glad according as He had afflicted me. Five were ad- 
mitted to the Church, and some are to be, next Sabbath. 
The interest seems to continue. After all my weakness 
and many sins, God has seen fit to bless, in some degree, 
the labor. I see the work in a fuller light than ever be- 
fore, and more rejoice that I can give to it my life. I 
have had much experience that will be of great value to 
me in future. 

Thus he plumed his wings for the arduous flight be- 
fore him, and gave such exercise to his religious affec- 
tions as promoted his growth in piety. 

As a consequence of his earnest Bible study and 
Christian activity, he grew steadily in the estimation of 
his fellow-students. His room-mate and class-fellow, 
the Rev. C. W. Clark, says of him : 

In spirituality, consecration, and efficiency in Christian work, 
he far out-distanced some of the rest of us of much larger Chris- 
tian experience. I think I can truly say that, at the close of his 
student-life, among his many qualifications for a successful 
Christian ministry, that of an active piety, with a deep-toned 
spirituality, stood chief. 

He numbered among his class-mates some very ex- 
cellent men. It was a goodly company for a man to 
be associated with in the scholarly pursuits and close 
intimacies of a course of study. Among them were 
the Rev. W. H. Fenn, D.D., Portland, Maine; the 
Rev. A. H. Plumb, D.D., Boston; the late Rev. J. 
Morgan Smith, Grand Rapids, Michigan ; Rev. Charles 



42 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

R. Bliss, Chicago ; Prof. E. P. Thvving, Brooklyn ; 
Rev. John A. Hamilton, D.D., Boston ; Rev. George 
T. Washburn, D.D., President of Robert College, Con- 
stantinople ; Rev. J. M. Chamberlain, Grinnell, Iowa ; 
Rev, Evarts Scudder ; Rev. J. F. Clark, Samokov, Bul- 
garia ; Rev. Wm. A. McGinley ; Rev. Francis B. Per- 
kins ; Rev. A. S. Twombly, D.D., Boston. 

Dr. Plumb, in some interesting " Reminiscences " of 
his seminary life, remembers that Goodell, in one of 
the first prayer-meetings of the class, said : 

" We come to the seminary with the seal of character stamped 
upon us more than when we entered college, — older, our habits 
and tastes more fixed. Not as readily here as there do we as- 
similate and form close intimacies with one another." M And, 
yet," he told us, " our common aim as prospective preachers 
should ally us in a fonder, firmer friendship than is possible 
among college students in training for different pursuits." 
Goodell was right, though we were slow to find it out. For so 
commanding were the high themes to which our studies intro- 
duced us. and so engrossing, that at first we thought little of 
the fellowships we were forming in those sacred pursuits. But 
we grew to know each other well, and I think no man grew on 
us more steadily than this one. If there were men in the class 
of riper scholarship, or wider culture, or keener intellect — yet, 
when we looked among us, after the three years were over, for 
the one whom we should all delight to honor, it was Constans 
Goodell whom we chose with one accord to preside over us at 
that memorable supper in the old stone academy, since burned 
down, where the class parted. 

The ready wit and brilliant sallies which qualify one 
to preside with success on such an occasion, were al- 
ways eminently characteristic of him. His mind flashed 
at the least touch ; it required no effort, no hard stroke 
of the flint, to make it emit a shower of scintillations 
which surprised and delighted all who witnessed them. 



ENTRANCE TO THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 43 

It was an effective weapon of attack, as well as a means 
of giving enjoyment. " He and I," says Dr. Plumb, 
"once led in a labored debate on Gothic architecture. 
I did not believe then, any more than I do now, in its 
adaptation to an intelligent worship, and I made a 
sound argument against it which ought to have pre- 
vailed. But Goodell swept everything before him, he 
made so many telling hits. One of them I recall. 
1 Suppose/ thundered he, ' the Almighty had built the 
universe on the box plan, like this chapel ! ' I felt that 
Bartlett chapel was an unfortunate place in which to 
plead for simplicity in church architecture." 

We cull from the " Reminiscences " of Dr. Plumb, but 
one more extract. His pen, surely, was charged with 
loving memories golden as the light of setting suns, 
when he wrote it, and so happily wrought into it for 
our instant recognition and perpetual gratitude the por- 
trait it contains : 

For three years at Andover, I sat daily in lectures and recita- 
tions, where I could lay my hand on the shoulder of this be- 
loved friend, whose genial face was wont to turn back often to 
the men in our row, and with what pleasant interchange of 
sympathetic glances and intelligent communications I can well 
remember. He was in front of us then, and there he has al- 
ways kept ; yet never so far in front but that every Christian 
brother could lay his hand on him still with confidence and 
affection, and in spite of his eagle glances into the future of the 
Church, and his rapid strides toward it, his face has been half- 
turned continually toward his Christian comrades, with such 
appreciation and encouragement that they have redoubled their 
diligence to keep company with his advance. In front of us all 
now, by what a sudden and glorious advance, — at a step — at a 
bound — he has gone on where no hand of ours, indeed, can 
reach him ; but how natural still for us to look up as if to meet 
his backward glance of cheer to all those unforgotten ones he 
has left behind him. 



IV. 

LIFE DEEPENS. 

1858. 



"There cannot be a more glorious object in creation than a 
human being replete with benevolence, meditating in what 
manner he might render himself most acceptable to his Creator 
by doing most good to His creatures." — Fielding. 

" We take care of our health, we lay up money, we make our 
roof tight and our clothing sufficient, but who provides wisely 
that he shall not be wanting in the best pioperty of all — 
friends ? " — Emerson. 

" What's the best thing in the world ? 
Love, when so you're loved again." 

— Mrs. E. B. Browning. 



CHAPTER IV. 

COMPLETION OF SEMINARY COURSE, AND ENGAGE- 
MENT TO BE MARRIED. 

In such earnest work, and in the enjoyment of such 
congenial companionships as the preceding chapter de- 
scribes, Goodell's seminary life quickly and happily 
passed away. In the course of it he formed friendships 
which lasted to the end. He valued his friends, and 
was greatly valued by them. One of the dearest and 
most intimate of these was Austin Hazen, his college 
class-mate, and a member of the class behind him in 
the seminary. They " enjoyed very much in each 
other, and were a help to each other in many ways." 
" It is worth much,'' Mr. Hazen writes, " to have had 
such a friend." 

Most of us know, from happy experience, what it 
is that friends of this sort do for us. They afford us 
inestimable benefit in the form of pure happiness found 
in their society, and of impulses for good received from 
them. It often happens that a student owes more to 
a friend among his class-mates or cotemporaries at 
school than to the whole faculty and endowment of the 
school united. He does more to arouse his moral na- 
ture and to stimulate his mental faculties. So of the 
friends and acquaintances we make when we go out 
into the world. The poet Wieland, after becoming ac- 
quainted with Goethe, said : " Since the morning I met 
him, my soul has been as full of Goethe as a dew-drop 

(47) 



48 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

is of the sunshine." The remark presents a beautiful 
image of the effect which a person of strong- mind, or 
earnest moral nature, may produce upon another in the 
intimacy of friendship. Such was the influence of Sir 
James Macintosh over Robert Hall in their student- 
days at Aberdeen. A similar influence was imparted 
to us all by the class-mates of our school-days, whose 
characters attracted us. or whose example stimulated 
us. The glow of affection with which we recall them, 
the warmth with which we speak of their kindness or 
their success, bears testimony to the abiding power 
they have over us. They have contributed to make us 
what we are. Had we not known and loved them, it 
would have been different with us. Be it sunshine or 
shadow that they imparted to us, our lives have been 
brighter, or more sombre, because of their influence. 
For this reason we need to take into account the influ- 
ence of companions and friends in surveying a life like 
Dr. Goodell's. 

It was during the Senior year of his course at An- 
dover that he became intimately acquainted with the 
person who, of all others, had the most influence over 
his life. This person was Miss Emily Fairbanks, who 
subsequently became his wife. He first met her, as we 
have already mentioned, at her home in St. Johnsbury, 
Vt., where he taught school during the winters of his 
Junior and Senior years in college. At this time Miss 
Fairbanks had come to Andover to take the position of 
the teacher of music in Abbott Female Seminar}', then 
in charge of Miss Emma L. Taylor; and the acquaint- 
ance formed four years before was renewed. It soon 
ripened into a mutual affection, and they became en- 
gaged to be married a few months previous to his 
graduation from the seminary. From this time onward 



SENIOR YEAR AT ANDOVER, AND ENGAGEMENT. 49 

their lives became inseparably blended. Not a day 
passed in which they were not in each other's thoughts. 
To her he confided, in his correspondence, his inmost 
sentiments ; his aspirations and hopes concerning the 
future; his thoughts and plans in regard to the minis- 
try ; his perplexity of mind in deciding, of the different 
places offered to him, which one to choose for his field 
of labor, and his desire to be governed by such consid- 
erations only as were best. 

In the latter part of his Senior year he preached al- 
most constantly, and with great and increasing accept- 
ance, in various places here and there in New England. 
His qualifications as a preacher were of a high order, 
and he made a deep impression wherever he went. One 
of his early friends speaks of him then as " every inch 
an orator, having a fine person, a vivid imagination, 
deep emotion, and a voice of remarkable compass and 
melody that, like a perfect instrument, responded to 
every subtlest movement of emotion within." Besides 
these external qualifications there were the more import- 
ant spiritual ones of an unquestioning faith in the truth 
of his message, and an evangelical ardor to win souls. 

" Truth," says Phillips Brooks, " has little power un- 
til it is transmuted into conviction in the mind of some 
person who utters it as conviction." The truth of the 
Gospel had been thus transmuted by his experience of 
its power, and he proclaimed it with the accent of con- 
viction. He seemed like one who had something good 
to say, and felt that his hearers would be better for 
hearing him say it. He brought to men a real Gospel. 
Professor Phelps speaks of " the bounding pulse which 
he carried into the pulpit. He wasted no mental force 
in counting hardships and weighing obstacles to suc- 
cess. Success to him was a foregone conclusion." 
3 



50 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L GOODELL. 

We obtain the truest impression of the man from his 
own letters. The following extracts are taken from 
letters written near the close of his Senior year. Most 
of them were addressed to Miss Fairbanks. They set 
forth very clearly his views concerning the work of the 
ministry, the warmth of his piety, and the genuine na- 
ture of his Christian faith. 

He writes to Miss Fairbanks : 

March n, 1858. 

If the labor of life can be so chosen as to combine 
culture, taste, and refinement, bring constantly fresh 
acquirements, and the consciousness of doing good to 
others, together with the feeling that one's work is for 
eternity, and that the chief pleasure and reward are 
there, what can be higher or better? And such, it 
seems to me, is pre-eminently the work of the Christian 
minister in this age. I would not exchange it for medi- 
cine or the bar, if there were no future reward. What 
is pleasanter than laboring with books, with friends, and 
with Christ forever ? 

A friend once said he could not work any more directly 
on mind than in being a teacher of Christ's death. I 
love to study for truth. I love to speak of Christ's 
goodness, and to declare His Gospel; to associate with 
Christians; to come in contact with the great and good; 
to retain the habits of the student, and the genial sym- 
pathy of friends; and, above all, to point out the way of 
life, and dwell forever on the highest truths — to do this 
is the pleasantest life-work which is vouchsafed to man. 

The spring vacation of this year was spent in Bristol, 
Vt., in laboring with the small missionary church of 
twenty-one members, which he endeavored at this time, 
as previously, to revive and strengthen. The town 
was much divided by religious sects, whose contentions 



SENIOR YEAR AT ANDOVER, AND ENGAGEMENT. 5 1 

and jealousies were a great hindrance to religion. To 
his friend, Austin Hazen, he humorously describes the 
state of things found, the difficulties encountered, and 
the success obtained. 

He writes : 

Bristol, Vt., April 3, 1858. 

My dear Hazen : — I came here and found all in 

uproar, like forty bedlams. The s and the s 

are joined, and hurrah day and night ; and the s 

and the s are joined, and yell night and day, and 

all is pulling and hauling. I fear I am wicked and im- 
patient, and that God cannot bless us ; yet great is the 
interest of our people. Some are to join the church 
next Sunday, and more soon. I pray I may be humble 
and prayerful, and that God will bring good out of evil. 
There is room for a great and permanent work, and I 
trust great good will be done. 

To the same : 

Bristol, April 15, 1858. 

I have been down all the morning, and trying in vain 
to write a sermon. But I just went to the post-office 
and found some letters, and one from you, which let in 
the sunshine. My gaze was earthward and manward, and 
not Christward. I wish I could always keep above the 
earth, and look to God alone. The confusion here be- 
gins to be confounded — the ministers begin to flee, and 
the crying and shouting begins to calm down. But is 
God still here, and now will souls still find the Saviour ? 
Many have already found a hope, and many are under 
deep conviction ; and my house is more than full with 
the better portion of the people. But who is sufficient 
for these things ? The work is God's, and I can only 
look up to Him and pray He may glorify His name in 
His own way. To be a man of God, what a thing it is ! 
And in trial, to rise above it all and leave it all with 



52 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Him ! But soon this warfare will be over, and there 
will be rest. 

Such labors were good for him. They implanted in 
his soul at the very beginning of his ministry, and be- 
fore he had fairly entered upon it, that zeal for winning 
men to Christ, and skill in evangelistic and pastoral 
work, which so distinguished him as a minister. 

After preaching six weeks in Bristol, Vt., he went to 

New York City for a few weeks, whence he writes to 

Miss Fairbanks : 

New York, May 7, 1858. 

My long anticipated labor is over, and soon I go back 
to the last term of my theological course — a bright, 
beautiful summer term. The sky is fair, not one cloud 
rests in the horizon. Perhaps it should not be so. I may 
need sore discipline at the hand of my Father. I know 
I do. Oh, what mercy and love is that which encircles 
and blesses me ! I can only look up in thanksgiving and 
praise every hour to my blessed Lord. How my soul 
was filled at Bristol, and my poor labor blessed, and 
how was I led by a wisdom higher than my own ! 

The work before me is hard and difficult, but I would 
not give it up for the world. It is the joy of all joys to 
me. He is not happiest who smiles most, who lives 
most in sunshine. In tears oftener than in smiles do we 
learn to pray that deepest and noblest of all prayers, 
"Thy will be done," and to feel that is the highest 
triumph which the soul can gain, the last joy and blessed- 
ness of the Christian life, the crown which hides every 
cross. 

I am going to stay through the Anniversaries and see 
the movement of the ecclesiastical wheels of which I 
am soon to be a spoke. I need the view of things in 
the religious world which I can get best at these meet- 
ings. 



SENIOR YEAR AT ANDOVER, AND ENGAGEMENT. 53 

Attending the May Anniversaries in New York, he 
writes to the same : 

May 23, 1858. 

I have been at leisure now about long enough. I long 
for work as much as I did for rest. I have looked on 
till I am tired. I want to get hold myself. I do believe 
the worst punishment would be continued rest. Now I 
have known and tasted the joy of labor for Christ — full, 
vigorous, and prayerful labor, leaning on the arm of 
Christ, — I could not be happy in any other mode of life. 
I pray God may permit me to labor for Him till I am 
called home to the Father's house. 

I received this morning a letter inviting me to preach 

in S . The deacon says, " They want a man of ability, 

and will pay a good salary." I hope they will get a ??ian 

of piety. 

Andover, June 10, 1858. 

My dear E.: — When should I write you if not on such 
a morning as this, while the skies are weeping and smil- 
ing and blushing like an overjoyed maiden, and all in 
the same breath ? Besides, this is a day of leisure and 

rejoicing. Prof. has given our class over to the 

leading of our own fancy, and gone to be married, and 
I find my fancy a very active and interesting leader. I 
have been all over the country during the hours I have 
sat here looking over the Park, and taken a score of 

pleasure trips to St. J . I have been with you out 

in the woods gathering flowers, and then we have sat on 
the moss-bank in the shade and had a happy talk, and I 
did not want to leave and come to the writing of this 
dull letter. Will it ever be that we shall wander where 
we please and sit and talk as long as we wish, and then 
go to a happy home that is ours, fitted up with garden 
and flowers, and study, and library, and parlor, and pic- 
tures, according to our taste, for us and our friends ? 
So indeed I have been pleasantly and happily dreaming 



54 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

for an hour. So indeed it may be. Oh, my Saviour, 
how hast Thou mingled the cup for us ! Shall it be 
sweet and pleasant, and only so ? Or is it through sorrow 
and affliction alone that we will suffer Thy image, pure 
and bright and holy, to be formed in our bosoms ! 
Your path has always been in the sunshine ; and mine 
has grown brighter and brighter from the first hard 
years of toil and self-denial, which I thank God for. 
Now that they have been brought side by side, and may 
some day be one, will God's blessing still rest upon 
them ? Those are safe whose lives are hid with Christ 
in God. How do you read the future ? The step which 
you have taken the world will not understand nor ap- 
prove, and if this life be all, truly it is a hard and self- 
denying one. You will meet it everywhere among 
worldly friends. I did and still do. But there is one 
who has said : " He that loseth his life for my sake shall 
Jind it"; and so far as I have found strength to lose 
myself for Christ — to deny myself for Him, the promise 
has been verified with a depth and fulness that over- 
whelmed me. How strong may we be while we rest in His 
promises; and while Christ is for us, who can be against 
us ? I have felt recently, more than ever before, that 
there is no real pleasure, no valuable nor desirable good 
here, outside of faith in Christ. I know that everything 
noblest, highest, and best, is found only in the Christian 
life, hard as it may seem to be. And it is all mock- 
ery and ingratitude to talk of giving up all for Christ. 
Who has done it, and felt that he had not gained ? Is 
it a sacrifice to give up the fleeting and grosser pleasures 
of this life, and find Christ for a friend, and to become 
heirs of heaven ? to have the activities of the mind take 
hold of the pure, the holy, and the good ; and the facul- 
ties of the soul brought into sympathy with the higher 
enjoyments which belong to the spiritual and the heav- 
enly, the only beautiful and the only true ? 



SENIOR YEAR AT ANDOVER, AND ENGAGEMENT. 55 

I have enjoyed very much the quiet of Andover since 
my return. Wednesday I took a long stroll into the 
woods and found lots of flowers — lady-slippers and be- 
gonias. The last is a beautiful flower, a bright red with 
a beard upon the chin, from which it takes its name. I 
put with them some lively evergreens and some red ber- 
ries, and made what I called a beautiful bouquet ; and 

in the evening I carried it to Miss T . She expressed 

a world of admiration. I was glad to give it to her, 
but I cannot say that she would have been sure of it, 
were all things at the " Sem." as they once were. I do 
believe you would hardly know Pomps' Pond now, or Sun- 
set Rock. A change of garment makes quite as much 
difference with dame Nature as with any of her daugh- 
ters. I see Vermont, in my mind's eye, fair and fresh 
and rugged and beautiful. I shall rejoice to cross the 
river once more and breathe her cool air. I never was 
at your place in June. I suppose it must be fine now. 
.... Mrs. Stowe is at home and very happy. She digs 
in her garden and goes off miles for flowers, and takes 
hold in earnest. She made a little aquarium, and has 
got a couple of stickle-backs in it. You know they are 
pugnacious. They see their faces in the glass and fight 
their courageous shadows for hours. That reminds me 
of a turtle, a box-turtle that a student brought in, and 
put a glass before him, and he ran up and bunted his 
head against the image and tried to bite it, and then put 
round on the other side of the glass to see if he could 
not find him. We have many orioles in our park ; did 

you ever see one in St. J ? Prof. is married 

to-day. His wedding tour is to be three weeks. He 
goes first to New York, and then to Niagara. This is a 

bad week for that disorder. W. H , a class-mate of 

mine, is to be married to-day, and so is Rev. Mr. S , 

of G , Vermont ; and so are others of my acquaint- 
ance. It is hard for them to get through this beautiful 



$6 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

month single. After Prof. had started, he went 

back ; was that not ominous ? Do you believe in signs ? 
in the moon ? Your surprise was admirable and real. This 
morning when the mail came, I thought, well, to-mor- 
row morning will soon come, and then I shall be glad ; 
but I was made glad already. It seemed very good to 
hear from you, and then to think that in three days I 
should see you. Then how much we may talk that the 

pen will not write 

Ever yours, G. 

After a visit to St. Johnsbury, he writes : 

Andover, June 22, 1858. 
My dear E.: — I begin the promised letter to you, filled 
with a deep, quiet joy. Yesterday, and much of the 
time since I left St. J., the waves had well-nigh gone 
over me. Professors and place, and the frown of some, 
and pride within, and a desire to make you happy by 
outward position, all came upon me like a sea, and I 
felt as if I should be crushed, and that there could be no 
hope of my fitness for any sphere. The face of the 
Saviour was hid, and His love seemed withdrawn from 
my heart. But oh, how great His mercy and love ! Now 
I can see His face smiling on me. Now I can rest on 
His promise, and trust. Now I can say, I will be passive 
in His hands, and let Him mould me as He will. He has 
made me feel that it is not self-denial, and toil, and un- 
happiness, that He requires, but only supreme love to Him, 
and trust in His word. If I will do that, then all things 
for my good will He give me, as a father does a dutiful 
child. Then will He bless me till I am overwhelmed by 
His goodness, and wonder at His mercy, as His children 
often do. He has made me see and feel, too, that you 
can be permanently happy in the highest and fullest 
sense — happy here — secure from sorrow, and safe above 
the changes and trials of life, only in and through Him. 



SENIOR YEAR AT ANDOVER, AND ENGAGEMENT. 57 

And He has made me see that if I would secure for you 
that fulness of joy which I so much desire, that it must 
come from Christ, from your willingness to be His en- 
tirely. I might work for years for outward good and 
worldly considerations, and then lose them in an hour, 
and leave the heart cold, and dry, and desolate. Every 
effort which does not soften and subdue the heart and 
bring it nearer to Christ, can bring no lasting joy : 
sometime it must be given up, and pain and trial come. 
I have been made to see that however great my regard 
for you might be, and however much 1 might shield 
you from trouble, that it would be selfish and wrong if 
it kept you from the higher spiritual joys, and led you 
to set a value upon the things of this life beyond what 
God will permit us to do consistently with our supreme 
love to Him. But I feel, as I have not for months, that 
God has a place for us, and if we will be still, and trust 
Him, and be ready, He will make known His will. 

What a calm joy I have to-day in trusting, and in the 
deep assurance that you will be happy too, and filled 
with songs of rejoicing. I am in no anxiety or perplex- 
ity of mind now ; all has passed away, and I can wait 
His time. I cannot tell you the wonder of that mercy 
which God has shown in my darkness. But you did 
know in part, though not fully, how I felt before, for I 
could not tell it ; besides, my greatest temptation came 
after I saw you. But thanks be to God who giveth us 
the victory, I can now look up and be happy, knowing 
that I am safe to leave it all with Christ ; and I can 
think of you, too, in this regard with more pleasure than 
I have ever been able to before, for my Saviour is yours, 
and you know His love. I wanted to write to you my 
joy in the Saviour, and to tell you my happy escape 
from the trials that beset me. Now I will try and keep 
the tempter down. I hope you, too, are happy, and 
above all, strong in Christ. 
3* 



58 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

I have chosen the subject for my graduating piece, 
and have it all thought out. I hope you will be at lib- 
erty to come at Anniversary time. I should like to have 
you present on the day of my graduation — that day so 
important to me. I have no brothers or sisters to be 
here, but you, to me, shall stand for them all ; and in 
you shall be my joy if I have an honorable place, and 
my consolation if I do not. 

Ever yours, C. L. G. 

Andover, July i, 1858. 
My dear E.: — I was disappointed yesterday, and 
more so this morning since the note saying you cannot 
see me at present. But a moment's reflection has con- 
vinced me that it is not for myself that I should be 
sorry, but for you, who are thus detained by the illness 
of your father. You are kind and dutiful to him, and 
in that you are happiest. I am glad it is in your power 
to be so near him, and to cheer his sick-room by the 
sunshine of your presence. You will have his blessing, 
and you have my sympathy. I shall be anxious to know 
of his situation, and hope soon to hear of his recovery. 
Do not think of my disappointment ; remember only 
your duty to him, the kindest of fathers, as you have 
often written, and be blessed, as truly you will be, in 
your kindly service. I wish it were in my power to re-, 
lieve your anxiety for him, but you do not write me that 
he is dangerously ill. 

Ever yours, C. 

Andover, July 14, 1858. 
My dear E.: — Your letter, bringing the account of 
the increasing illness of your father, I have just read. 
It has filled me with sadness, and with the deepest 
sympathy for you. In such providences it is God who 
speaks, to call our thought up to Him, and we must 



SENIOR YEAR AT ANDOVER, AND ENGAGEMENT. 59 

listen. He alone can make us feel the profound mean- 
ing of His purposes, and sanctify His bitter dealings to 
our good. I would not comfort you with vain hopes. I 
would not draw off your mind to lighter considerations, 
for you are the child of a Father who is wiser than man, 
and who does not willingly afflict. You have an Elder 
Brother kinder than man, who has tasted every sorrow, 
and borne them alone, that He might lighten yours. 
He knows all your heart — every tear you shed, and pain 
you feel, and sees it all with a tender and watchful eye, 
and will fly to your side before the waves go over you, 
and in the dark open up a shining way to Him. 

He would teach a lesson, and asks you to look up to 
Him with serene soul, in the calm repose of faith, and 
learn of Him the full truth which He would speak, and 
hold it obediently in an understanding heart. He knows 
there are truths which you have not seen, emotions 
which you have not felt, and experiences which you have 
not passed through. It may be He will come to you 
now and lead you by the hand from the sunny pathway 
which you have trod into the darker ways, that you may 
know more of His mercy and love, of His power to 
bless and comfort and support, and thus see new beauty 
in the Saviour, and have stronger faith and firmer reli- 
ance on Him for the duties and trials that remain. I 
say I cannot call your thought away from the great les- 
son He would teach you, but I can point you to that 
Saviour — our Saviour, and I can pray, as I have prayed, 
that you may be comforted and kept in the hollow of 
that hand which has given you so great blessings. He 
who numbereth the hairs of your head and seeth the 
sparrow fall will not be unmindful. For the love I bear 
you, I would have no shadow on your heart. I would 
stand between you and the arrow. But it is a joy to 
feel you are Christ's, and that in His hands you are 
safe ; and that if He brings to you a night of sorrow it 



60 THE LIFE OF CONSTATS L. GOODELL. 

will be that He may awaken in your soul the brightness 
of a still more glorious morning than you have ever 

known 

Yours ever and always, C. L. G. 

Andover, July 23, 1858. 

My dear E.: — My piece is done and in the hands of 
Prof. Phelps, and now I am free from the weight that 
has borne me down for two weeks, and my mind springs 
up like a thing of life, and I come first of all to you. 
You first, you last, you always. Let me take your hand 
and sit down by your side and enjoy a happy, unre- 
strained hour with you. There is nothing like labor to 
make life happy. He who does most feels most, and 
longs most for the love and confidence of friends. It 
quickens the dull and languid activities, and makes 
every form of joy sweet and intense. When the heavy 
work is done, then the sweeter delights and kindlier 
sympathies of our social nature have a right to be en- 
joyed, for they lend that very strength which prepares 
for future effort, and they give a genial and mellow light 
to the darkest path. It is a pleasure to come and tell 
you what I have felt and thought. My mind runs for- 
ward to a still brighter future. There is a pleasant 
vision before me of a time when we shall be hand in 
hand indeed, in the full enjoyment of that one life, of 
which we can now only dream 

My life has been active and heated for a few weeks, 
and each day brings much to do ; there are but few 
golden ones of student life remaining, and then I go out 
of the shade into the noonday. Two weeks more, and 

the last sand falls But Christ gives me some 

gleams of light that bless and reassure me ; some 
tokens of His love that fill my heart and make me count 
all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge 
of Him. How unworthy I am, yet how sweet His love L' 



SENIOR YEAR AT ANDOVER, AND ENGAGEMENT. 6l 

how rich His mercy ! To-day my full soul can find 
no words to speak His praise but these : " Do not I 
love Thee, O my Lord ! " " Whom have I in heaven 
but Thee, and there is none on earth that I desire be- 
side Thee ! " I have prayed that you might be filled 
with peace and holy, quiet joy. 

I am so glad your father is better. I rejoice with 
you in your fulness of joy. Your letter was a very 
happy and cheerful one. I hope to hear from you again 
soon ; till then I shall hold you in pleasant remem- 
brance, and remain 

Ever faithfully yours, G. 

The three following letters relate to the exercises of 
the Anniversary week, from which Miss Fairbanks was 
kept away by the illness of her father. In the exer- 
cises of Anniversary Day, Wednesday, August 4th, 
Goodell's part was the last on the programme — a place 
of honor. His piece was received with much favor; 
and by its matter and manner of delivery, justified the 
place given him, and drew special attention to him as a 
man of unusual promise. Invitations to preach came 
to him at once from several important churches in dif- 
ferent parts of New England. The venerable Dr. Joel 
Hawes, of Hartford, Connecticut, who was present at 
the Anniversary, and was then seeking to find a suit- 
able person for a colleague, called upon him for an in- 
terview, and engaged him to supply his pulpit the fol- 
lowing Sabbath. He was not, however, unduly elated 
by these tokens of esteem. He bore his honors meekly. 
The uppermost feeling of his heart, apparently, was 
one of seriousness, in view of the important point in 
life to which he had arrived. His student days were 
ended ; before him was the hard, serious business of 
life, the work to which God called him. Before taking 



62 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

hold of it, however, a short vacation for rest and a 
visit to his good mother was imperative. 

Andover, August 2, 1858. 
My dear E.: — Your letter did come to me Saturday 
morning, and it brought me glad tidings in two respects : 
the fact that your father was more comfortable and on the 
way, as you hope, to recovery, and that you are calm and 
trustful in the love and goodness of the Heavenly Father. 
And then your kind remembrance of me and interest in 
all my little affairs here is very pleasant to me. It is 
now Monday afternoon. I have just been in and re- 
hearsed my piece to Prof. Phelps. The hosts are mus- 
tering. The white cravats are all around on every 
side. The tent is up in our park with its white folds. 
Examinations are going on ; ladies are in the shade 
under the elms ; Seniors are running to and fro, and 
here am I, rather sad in view of it all, considerably 

tired — very thoughtful — writing to you You 

wished to know just when I speak on Wednesday. It 
will be at 12 o'clock m. precisely. I shall know that 
your thought is with me, and your best wishes for me, 
and for it all I thank you truly. How I do wish you 
were to be here, and your father well ; but I am happy 
that you can be with him. Soon I may see you and be 
at rest, for the work of the Seminary will be done, and 
then we can talk and read and drive as we please. I 
thought I would drop you this brief line to keep you up 
with the way things go here. I hope I may soon have 
leisure to give you all the time I would like to, but now 
I shall be confined to a note. 

Ever yours, G. 

Andover, August 3, 1858. 
My dear Emily : — To-day the town is full. The Rev. 
Drs. fill every corner, and clouds of black broadcloth 



SENIOR YEAR AT ANDOVER, AND ENGAGEMENT. 6? 



fill the upper air. I have just dined at Prof. Shedd's, 
and a whole row of them were there. I have rehearsed 
once to-day. The schedules are out, and I will send 
you one. Such lots of ladies as there are here you never 
saw. Each Senior of the class, with a few exceptions, 
has a fair one on his arm, walking about the grounds ; 

but you are not here 

August $th. — The day is passed ; the piece is spoken ; 
the diploma is received ; the class photographs are dis- 
tributed ; the class-song is sung. I fixed up that, as you 
see it on the schedule. We all stood on the stage be- 
fore the audience, thirty-one of us, and sung it. One 
day more and all will be gone. Yesterday went off very 
well indeed, considering the fact that it poured all day. 
I never knew it to rain harder. Your letter came to me 
and I sat on the steps in the vestry and read it just be- 
fore I went upon the stage, but I forgot everything 
while I was speaking. My friends persist in congratu- 
lating me. My piece was commended much more than 
it deserved, I am sure. I do not merit half the favor 
that has been given me. It humbles me to think any 
effort of mine can be ranked as mine has been. Those 
two ladies from New York were there with Mr. S., and 
the S.'s from Boston. They formed a pewfull of 
very attentive listeners. I sat with them part of the 
time, and I saw a good many looking and trying to 
make out which was you ! I was amused. What a good 
visit I will have with you soon. Adieu. 

Ever yours, C. 

Andover, August 6, 1858. 
My dear, dear E.: — My heart is far away from all this 
confusion and chaos with you, and my thought turns to 
you with a glad, swift wing ; I wish I could come as 
quickly. Friday has come, and the public exercises are 
through, the wheels are rolling the divines to the cars, 



64 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

and soon the last sound will die away, and the calm, 
quiet air of summer settle down in Sabbath stillness. 
Now I am indeed through. The farewells have been 
spoken. Last evening we had our last class-supper, and 
it lasted till 2 o'clock. I had the honor of presiding, 
and I called upon each man in turn ; so we had thirty- 
one speeches and confessions. At the close we joined 
hands around the table, sang " Old Lang Syne," and 
closed with a doxology and prayer. It was a sad time, 
and the last of all our pleasant meetings. Yesterday 
the clouds left us, the day was beautiful ; we had din- 
ner in the tent, and after it, some most interesting 
speeches from Drs. Blagden, Way land, Adams, Stearns, 
etc., etc. At that meeting came the news of the laying 
of the ocean cable, and then what cheering ! And a 
prayer was offered by Dr. Hawes. I am rejoicing in 
good health in all this labor and excitement. I have 
been permitted to go everywhere and do everything that 
has fallen to me. I leave town to-morrow on the early 
train with Mrs. Hawes, and shall reach Hartford about 
half-past twelve, and then preach on Sunday, and Fri- 
day or Saturday go home. Dr. Hawes has just spent 
two hours in my room. He is a very fine man and noble 
Christian. He talked like a father. A man from New 
Britain, Conn., called to see me to-day about going to a 
church there. It is a large and important church, but I 
could give him no promise. 

Mr. M., deacon of the Winthrop Street Church, Charles- 
town, called also, and asked me to come there in two or 
three weeks as a candidate. Yesterday I had a letter from 
the Mystic Church in Medford, where Dr. Manning of 
the Old South was settled. But I shall not go to any of 
those places at present. I am going hi-me and to you r 
and rest, and then there will be time enough. I ask 
your prayers for me on the Sabbath. Pray that God's 
will may be done. I must be brief, for there is less 
time than work. Ever and trulv vours, G. 



V. 

THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S LEADING. 

1858— 1859. 



"Where you are is of no moment, but only what you are 
doing there. It is not the place that ennobles you, but you the 
place ; and this is only by doing that which is great and noble." 
— Petrarch. 

11 Let God do with me what He will, anything He will ; and 
whatever it be, it will be either heaven itself, or some beginning 

Of it." — MOUNTFORD. 

" My letters ! all dead paper, — mute and white ! 
And yet they seem alive and quivering 
Against my tremulous hands which loose the string 
And let them drop down on my knee to-night." 

—Mrs. Browning. 






CHAPTER V. 

PREPARATORY TO SETTLEMENT — LETTERS. 

The course of events in the life of Dr. Goodell, be- 
tween his graduation from the Theological Seminary 
and his marriage in the spring of the following year, is 
clearly indicated in his correspondence with Miss Fair- 
banks. We deem it best to open to our readers enough 
of that correspondence to enable them to gather from 
his own language what happened to him in that time ; 
what his thoughts and feelings were in regard to the 
matters of personal concern disclosed, and especially 
what his aims and purposes were concerning the 
Christian ministry. These letters reveal to us more of 
the inner life than of the outside world. They show 
what manner of man he really was, better than any de- 
scription can do. In them, as in a mirror, his whole 
soul was reflected, and the noblest and purest aspira- 
tions of his heart as breathed into the ear of the person 
whom he loved most. The letters from which these 
extracts are given, take up the narrative where the pre- 
ceding chapter left it. At the close of that chapter he 
was under engagement to preach the next Sabbath for 
Dr. Hawes in Hartford. 

He writes from 

Hartford, August 9, 1858. 

Study of Dr. Hawes. 

My dear E.: — Never a fairer or purer autumn morning 
dawned than this. The city sparkles like a jeweled 

(67) 



68 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

bride in the sun. The silver river winds through the 
valley, and the golden harvest waves in all the plains 
and on every hill. I can look up to God with a full 
heart and grateful, and praise Him for His loving-kind- 
ness. How bountifully His blessing falls upon me ; His 
goodness and mercy have followed me, and some unex- 
pected good, when I was least deserving. 

I bade good-bye to one after another of my class on 
Friday; saw lots of strangers and church committees ; 
called on the Faculty ; felt sad as I came through the 
park, and strolled around the grounds — my home no more ; 
packed my hand-bag and went to bed with the hope 
of getting to Prof. Barrows' at half-past five in the 
morning to take breakfast, and start with Mrs. Hawes. 
I awoke at ten minutes after six, and the train was to go 
in twenty minutes ! I dressed myself hastily and put 
for the station, and found Mrs. Hawes in the carriage. 
We went to Boston. I took breakfast there, then we 
came here. Yesterday I preached all day, with what 
acceptance I do not know, but God assisted me, so I did 
not quail before men, though in the audience there were 
two governors, two chief judges, Prof. Thatcher of Yale, 
and several ministers, besides an audience of nearly a 
thousand. It is a grand, majestic old church, the oldest 
organization in the State and the largest. The memories 
of olden times came over me, and had it not been for 
the Lord, I should have trembled and fallen. Dr. Hawes 
will be home to-day, so that I may see him, and then I 
shall leave to-morrow for Boston and stay a day or two, 
and then go to Andover and make my last arrange- 
ments and go home Saturday ; then I shall visit and 
rest, and come and see you. 

I feel God has called me to a work, and He will lead 
me to it. I care much less where the work shall be. I 
hope to follow the providence of God and do the will of 
my Master, let it be what it may 



PREPARATORY TO SETTLEMENT — LETTERS. 69 

What news in your delightful " bury " of St. Johns ? 
When are you to be married, according to their alma- 
nac ? I am sorry you are such a coquette. I must have a 
reckoning with you. I never thought you so given to 
trifling with the tender hearts of young gentlemen. 
Your case may be suddenly brought before Dea. B. and 
the Church Committee ! How is she who was once your 

fair sister S , but is now a saxa (Stone) ; how is she ? 

Very happy, I hope, in the noble and truly worthy man 
who may call her his. Though moons may wax and 
moons may wane, may there be one moon to her that 

will never full till her latest breath I do not know 

what I should do if there were no one to let out my 
heart to, and communicate my inner life to during these 
days, so intense and important in my little life ; just as 
important to me as if it were larger. It is not my 
nature to be reserved to those to whom I may give my 
confidence, as to you. 

All this writing apparatus belongs to Dr. Hawes, and 
is very sober and ministerial. 

Forever yours, C. 

Hartford, August 10, 1858. 

Dearest E. : — I was amused at the direction of your 
letter received this morning. It was " Hardford." You 
doubtless will make more use of "t" as you get older, 
if you are like most ladies. Now, I should have won- 
dered less had you spelled it Heartford. That would 
not have cast any reflections on the moral character of 

the city I have decided to remain and preach 

next Sunday. Dr. Hawes came home yesterday and 
took me to a long drive in the afternoon, and said I 
must stay and preach one Sunday more. And I think 
on the whole perhaps I had better. To say the truth to 
you, I suppose this church is looking for some young 



70 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

man to assist Dr. Hawes while he lives, and to take his 
place when he is gone, for he is getting old and infirm 
and will not preach much longer. But I do not think I 
shall be the man. It is too large and important a place 
and church for me. It staggers me to think of it. Now, 
my dearest friend, in this most critical time, pray that 
we may be led aright, and be made willing to be ser- 
vants of God indeed, having no will but His, for it is 
your interest as much as mine, for your happiness and 
discipline as a Christian as much as for mine. There is 
no prospect at present that this is the providence of 
God calling me here. I hope not to stay unless it is. 
Dr. Hawes knows your father, and loves him very much. 
He has spoken of him often ; and to-day, greatly to my 
surprise, he wanted to know if my heart had become 
entangled in the net of one of his fair daughters ? I 
saw he knew it, and so owned right up to the mark, and 
it seemed to please him much, and Mrs. Hawes too. 
They said I was a sensible young man, and wished me 
much joy. I suppose he found it out at Andover, and I 
do not care if he does know it. It now will be over and 

done with I love to write to you, and best of all 

to hear from you, and a great deal the best of all to 
see you. 

Affectionately yours, C. 

Hartford, Conn., August 13, 1858. 
My dear E. : — I suppose you may have seen Mr. A. 
before this, and got all the news from Andover. Mrs. 
Abbott writes me it is a blue time there. All the pro- 
fessors and students gone. It will be a thoughtful day 
for me to go back and gather my little estate together 
and face toward Vermont, and turn my back upon the 
old " Sem." forever as a student. But I shall be glad to 
get home and see my mother, and then there are other 
places in Vermont that have attractions for me. Do 



PREPARATORY TO SETTLEMENT — LETTERS. 7 1 

you suppose St. J. is one ? By the way, have you seen 
the new moon ? It was made for you, certainly not for 
me. Last night I saw it over my left shoulder as I 
was going to the vestry to give the weekly lecture, and 
I had a sad time of it. The vestry was very full, it was 
very warm. Dr. Hawes was behind me, a critical audi- 
ence before me, two hot and fierce gaslights on either 
side, and I never did so poorly in my life. I was ashamed 
of myself. I could not start the least interest, but was 
dry as dust. I came home feeling very sad. I attended 
a prayer-meeting Tuesday evening and felt very differ- 
ently ; but then it was not all on me. It has got all 
around that I am a son of the missionary Goodell, who is 
in very high repute here on account of a daughter living 
here. Poor man ! I shall bring him into disgrace if I do 
not do better than I did last night. I was not anxious 
to make a good impression. I did not care for it, neither 
did the Lord forsake me ; but I forsook Him and myself, 
and went through with as dry a set of remarks as you 
ever heard. I do not believe I could do it again if I 
should try. To-day I have been writing a sermon to 
preach on the Sabbath, and have been blessed in the 
work. I think I feel quite independent about remain- 
ing here. I hope I am trusting the matter entirely with 
God, who knows better than I. To write only one ser- 
mon a week would be a great advantage to me, giving 
time for study. 

There are some most delightful drives about Hartford. 
It is, indeed, a charming city. The people are very can- 
did and sober and cordial ; and when they do do a thing, 
it stays done. Dr. Hawes has been settled here forty-one 
years ; they want to get a man to come and stay forty- 
one years more. 

Let me feel that your prayers are for me. I did last 
Sunday. 

Your affectionate C. 



72 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Boston, August 17, 1858. 

My dear E.: — Here I am in Boston again, and I must 
not let the opportunity pass of giving you a line. I will 
continue my journal. Monday morning I took another 
drive with Dr. Hawes. He was very kind and generous 
to me. He had all unbeknown to me found out all 
about me — where I had preached, and all my ante- 
cedents. He said he was altogether pleased with me, 
and most anxious that I should come to H., and live and 
die with his people. Mrs. H. gave me a kiss, and I 
promised to write, and I came away feeling I had left 
friends indeed, whom I had known for years. T did not 
think 1 had found any favor in that ancient, aristocratic 
church ; and perhaps I have not, only in the eyes of its 
pastor. 

I will finish this letter in Andover. 

Andover, August 18. 
Here I am in my old room, writing from my old win- 
dow. I came up yesterday at noon. Oh, how changed 
and sober ! What a profound death has come to all the 
sounds and harmonies that were wont to fill the air. 
The feet that once trod these paths, in how many differ- 
ent lands they wander ; and the voices, how many differ- 
ent homes they cheer. My room-mate is gone, and the 
room looks like desolation itself. Everything is wrong- 
side up that has got a wrong side, and everything that 
has not is out of place. But Chamberlin, my old friend 
and class-mate, is here, and how cheering it is. He, too, 
boards at Deacon Abbott's, and we grope around and 
behold the pitcher broken at the fountain of mirth, the 
golden bowl cracked, the silver cord loosed, and the 
wheel broken at the cistern. Our friends have fled like 
the roses of June, and our student days like the dew of 

early morning, and we are here alone Yesterday, 

after dinner, as I was sitting under an old oak with C, 



PREPARATORY TO SETTLEMENT — LETTERS. 73 

a man came up and inquired if Mr. Goodell was in town. 
Mr. C. told him he was. It proved to be a man from 
Manchester, N. H. — a committee from the Franklin 
Street Church, where Professor Bartlett was settled. 
He was after me to preach next Sunday. I told him I 
was going home. He said it would be on the way. I 
could not well get rid of it, so I shall finish up here, go 
there Saturday evening, and home Monday. 

Yours, always and ever, C. 

Andover, August 19, 1858. 
My best of Friends : — Much joy your letter that 
came round by Hartford gave me. With your letter 
came one from Dr. Hawes. My fears are at an end. 
The Society wish me to come and spend three or six 
months there, or a year, or any time I will name. My 
work will be half the work there is to do — preaching 
once each Sabbath. It will be a very fine chance to go 
and study, and work into pastoral duty under such a 
man and in such a place. I could tell you a thousand rea- 
sons which seem to make it best, but I cannot write 
them. I trust to hold out, if I begin in this way. The 
professors say it is a plain case — I must go, — and a most 
desirable way to begin the ministry. But if I go it will 
not be before the first of October, so I shall have five or 
six weeks for visiting and rest. A man came from 
Lowell to have me preach there next Sunday, and one 
also from the Old South here ; but I shall go to Man- 
chester, where I shall hope to hear from you. 

Most affectionately yours, C. 

Burlington, Vt., August 29, 1858. 
My dear E.: — Here I am on old college grounds ; but 
old college friends, where are they ? I may ask the au- 
tumn leaf or the winter's snow. The old walls no longer 
4 



74 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

echo to their voices ; their footfalls are no longer heard 
on college walks. Like the drops of summer rain, they 
are now in the great ocean of life. But how many bright 
memories come up as I walk through these pleasant 
shades. How much of high thought and deep feeling 
and pleasant dreaming has been woven into the very 
woof of life, to last forever ! Three years ago I left here 
for a long course of professional study; that long course 
has passed, as the morning, and I am here again, and 
how much changed ! 

I have turned my back now on Andover. It was 
beautiful the day I left ; but, oh, how solemn! The 
spell is broken. How thankful I am that I was led to 
Andover ! And now I stand at that great point in life 
which can come but once. The calm cloisters of study 
are all behind, and the world of active life and duty is 
all before. The armor is chosen and fitted, and after a 
pleasant vacation of rest and visiting I go out into life, 
never to lay it off till my Master shall call me home. 
How in it all my thought turns to you 

Calais, Vt., September?,, 1858. 
My dear E.: — This is the second day since I left you. 
I reached home Monday night ; found my parents well 
and glad to see me. I am spending a most happy week 
at home. I never enjoyed it more. I found my mother 
unusually happy in the Saviour. She inquires most ten- 
derly for you. Several times this' afternoon as we have 
been visiting, she noticed that my thought was away, 
and she said, " I see you have only brought your body 
home ; your heart is somewhere else." 

A day later he writes : 

I can see you in the home circle to-night, sitting with 
happy friends around that bright, cheerful blaze. It 
has been a precious day with me in the old home. 



PREPARATORY TO SETTLEMENT — LETTERS. 75 

Most of the time I have been busy with a sermon. My 
text is, " I press toward the mark for the prize of the 
high calling of God in Christ Jesus." While thinking 
it out Christ has come very near to me. The Lord has 
been better to me than I dared to hope, and I am ready 
for His service. I have often thought of the family I 
left — your father and mother, aunt, and all ; how kind 
they were to me, and how pleasant they made my stay. 
I find a young man who works for my father is going 
to St. Johnsbury to-morrow to attend the " Fair." I 
will return by him your father's shawl, which he so 
kindly loaned me. I found it very comfortable on the 
stage that night. But every letter, as well as every 
meeting, must have its last word, and this shall be that 
I am, 

Ever yours, C. 

Hartford, October 1, 1858. 

My dear E. : — Here I am at last, in Hartford, on the 
first day of a beautiful, but fading month. Since din- 
ner, I have been in my room, and have been passing 
through the dark waters. Student life, vacations, all 
are passed, and now I am on the ground for the work of 
my Master. Oh, would it were all for Him, and I could 
see His face smiling upon me. I have been much in 
prayer and meditation, but I feel so small, so unable to do 
anything in a field so large, and requiring men so much 
better than I. My strength and hope are only in Christ 
I am unworthy to be called His servant, but in His name 
I may speak. The future is all uncertain. What is in 
store for me I do not know, but I will try to be humble, 
and faithful, and earnest, and walk before the Lord, 
seeking only to do His will. 

I met a very hearty welcome here. I presume Dr. 
Hawes thinks it will take a burden, in part, from his 
shoulders. 



j6 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

To the same : 

October 12. 

Eleven years ago to-day, I left my father's house for 
school. I left the farm, and opened the book for which 
I had so much thirsted, and with what joy I learned to 
decline " Musa " ! How like a dream seem these years ! 
They are gone, and I am no longer a student, but verily 
in the work. How little did I think it would begin 
here. Seventeen years among the rugged hills of my 
mountain home, and eleven in the cloister. I reckon 
quickly with my pen these two important periods of my 
life, and yet how much of joy, of struggle, of labor, 
there is in them. Now I begin the third great step. I 
am set down in Hartford. God only knows the work 
before me. I will do what comes before me to do, and 
trust it all to Him. I should have been much happier 
for the last twelve days, had I been in the quiet, peace- 
ful, little village of Bristol. But I am here alone, and a 
stranger in a city is more alone than in a forest. I have 
had students around me so long, it seems strange to be 
alone. There is no ear here into which I can speak that 
inner life that longs so much for utterance, and there are 
hours when I would give much if I could see you. When 
I get a little more acquainted here, it will seem dif- 
ferent 

October 13. 

I wrote the above at a very dolorous pitch yesterday, 
when I was almost sick. I have been below zero for a 
day or two, but now my mercury is rising. 

Sincerely yours, C. 

To the same : 

October 16. 

I have not liked here as well as I expected. The congre- 
gation is composed of almost all old people, — educated, 
professional, and influential men. Their sons and daugh- 
ters are away, and none of the laboring classes, like me- 



PREPARATORY TO SETTLEMENT — LETTERS. *JJ 

chanics, etc., attend this church, but quite a large, wealthy- 
class of elegant leisure. There are not many young men 
in the church, or young women ; I mean, not so many 
as is common. I do not like to preach to such a 
people. I cannot get up any interest, for it seems as 
though' a. young man could not do them any good. Again, 
although Dr. Hawes is very kind and considerate, yet 
of course he leads everything, and I do not see what I 
can plan out and do, that will amount to anything. . . . 
As things look now, it seems as though I should sink 
my labor here. I wish to feel free and independent, to 
work easily and naturally. I am glad there is One who 
will direct the steps of those who commit their ways to 
Him, — and if it is best that I should go, He will open 
the door and prepare the way. I feel the Saviour is my 
Friend, and I will not fear what man can do unto me. 
The world can give but little ; why should we fear it or 
long for its favor ? How much better than all it can 
give, is one hour of communion with Christ worth ! If 
I can but see His face, let the billows roll. In the holy 
day before us, let me feel that I have your faithful 
prayers, and that together we may be blessed at the 
mercy-seat of Christ. 

Now and ever yours, C. 

To the same : 

October 26. 
My position, did I not believe the Lord knows best, 
would be a very trying one I find now, that it was Dr. 
Hawes' notion, getting me here The committee knew 
his desire for aid, and acted to please him, but only the 
officers of the church were aware of it, and when I came 
the mass did not know for what reason. They think 
Dr. Hawes does not need any colleague yet, and when 
he does, they want to know it. So you see my position 
is anything but pleasant, and I shall leave at once — next 
week. Judge P told Dr. Hawes that he thought 



78 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

there was not one in forty that would make a better im- 
pression than I had, but the people would not gather 
around any one now. But I have felt greatly crippled 
since I have seen how it is, and have not done any sort 
of justice to myself. I could not, and shall not remain. 
It is an unpleasant thing ; but I am not going to settle 
down under it, and mourn over it. It is very plainly no 
place for me, and it had better occur now than after I 
had been here longer. I pray I may be wise and learn 
the lesson God would reveal. I do not blame Dr. Hawes 
at all. I love him. Yet, had he told me all, I should 
not have come. But he thought he took the wisest 
course, and that the people would fall in with his plan. 
Now what do you say ? Are you sad ? Does it trouble 
you ? Write me all you think and feel, as I do you. To 
say I do not deeply regret what has happened, would 
not be true. It has given me some sleepless nights and 
some heavy hours, but it is past. It will do me no per 
manent injury, it may do me much lasting good. The 
pain it gives me is keen and sharp, but if I am truly the 
Lord's, and desirous of doing His will, in my weakness 
I shall be made strong. I think I have not had a fair 
trial here. Everything has worked against me, but I 
blame nobody. Dr. Hawes intended to do for the best, 
but he sadly misjudged his people and his influence 
with them. I do not think I ever learned so much in 
four weeks, that will be of service to me, as I have here ; 
but it has cost very high. But I am not going to be im- 
prudent or hasty. Everything is before me, and God is 
above. This ungodly fever and heat and competition for 
big pulpits, I am done with. I can have no self-respect, 
to say nothing of love for the Saviour, to do as many 
fame-loving, dizzy triflers do. It is not true to Christ, 

and it brings sorrow in the end 

I shall go to Andover and spend a few weeks profit- 
ably in study, and see how the field opens before me. I 



PREPARATORY TO SETTLEMENT — LETTERS. 79 

may well be thankful that nothing worse has come upon 
me. If my moral character had received a stain, then 
might I be in trouble. 

Hartford, November 4, 1858. 

My dear E. : — .... It is needful that we make the 
most of every day that God gives us. The gift of a day is 
a precious one. In it one may gain a kingdom or lose a 
soul. But the fair October days are all gone forever, 
like the September ones. The latter brought me more 
joy, and the former more vexation of spirit, than any 
two months of my life. And such is our life here — 
mountain and valley, light and shade. But do not think 
I regard my shade as very dark. One ought to be cast 
down only when he is left to do some evil thing, and is 
deserted by the Lord. Upon a careful review of my 
coming here, I do not see how I could have done differ- 
ently, so I cannot reproach myself. My refusing to re- 
main will bring me respect and credit here — it has 
already, and yet it is very unpleasant to bear, if I allow 
myself to dwell upon it. In some respects the discipline 
has been good for me. It has shown me how much 
pride I have, and how I fear the world, and it must not 
be. My heart must be submissive in the hand of Christ. 

Only so can I do others good 

Always yours, C. 

Hartford, November 5, 1858. 

Dearest E. : — You are not expecting a letter from me 
to-day, are you ? I could not get on without writing 
you a line for Saturday. It is a cold, rainy, November 
morning. Are your spirits heavy as the da}', or light 
and cheerful ? The beauty of the year has gone, and 
but few more fair days will shine out upon the dying 
year. But another spring will open in beauty, and there 



SO THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

is an eternal summer. Let the leaves fall. When they 
were tinged with loveliness we drove much among them, 
and were happy. Now they are drifting in the breeze. 
A committee from New Britain came again to see me, 
and I promised to preach there next Sabbath. I shall 
see an old college friend there — Prof. Buckham, of the 

State Normal School 

Affectionately yours, C. 

New Britain, November 13, 1858. 

My dear E. : — This is Saturday morning, and I have 
had a very pleasant week here. It has passed quicker 
than I thought last Monday when I came. The peo- 
ple are very kind and cordial. I have been having 
some very pleasant thoughts about the work and duties 
of the future. It gives me unspeakable joy to think of 
the promises Christ makes to His children, and to those 
that work in His vineyard. I have been thwarted, it is 
true, in my first effort ; but in every other place where 
I have been, God has seen fit to encourage my humble 
efforts, and I am persuaded there are good reasons why 
He did not in this. I try to pray day by day with faith 
that God will show me my mission here in time, and 
prepare me for it. There is much to do before His 
kingdom is set up among men ; and what is sublimer than 
the thought of walking under the sky, bearing a com- 
mission from the living God — sustained by Him in doing 
work that shall last through and be seen most in eter- 
nity ? When you labor for the things of time, your labor 
will perish with the autumn leaves ; but what you do 
for your Sabbath-school class shall be seen upon the re- 
deemed and happy soul, written in golden letters, blazing 
before your eyes through all the aeons of heaven. Let 
me be among those who lead many to righteousness. 
Affectionately yours, C. 



PREPARATORY TO SETTLEMENT— LETTERS. 8 1 

New Britain, Conn., November 20, 1858. 
My dear E. : — I have thought much of what you said 
of your fears as to the future, suggested by what Mrs. 
H. said of her trials. I have thought much of it from 
the first. To leave a home like yours, and brothers and 
sisters such as you are blessed with, and make a new 
home among strangers, trusting all to the constancy and 
devotion of one, is indeed a great step. It is not a matter 
to be idly talked of, or pleasantly dreamed of only ; but 
to be thoughtfully weighed and candidly met. It is an 
earnest and serious thing to live, anyway. The free, 
happy school-days, with visiting and school friends, are 
gone. Life and duty are before us. The mind, to be 
contented, must be occupied and the hands active. God 
is looking on, reminding us of our privileges and advan- 
tages, and asking us what we are to do ? We are respon- 
sible for the life and blessings He gives us, and we can- 
not escape our obligations. When once awakened by a 
sense of obligation to Him in the performance of Chris- 
tian duty, we cannot shut our eyes upon it and be happy. 
But God, in His great goodness, has so arranged it that 
most that is highest and best here comes upon those 
who go forward in a faithful discharge of duty — for He 
always keeps such, and the very effort to be faithful 
gives the heart and hand the highest mission. It is truly 
a serious thing for a Christian to go forward, but it is 
more difficult to fail and give up and live for the world. 
Those who do it live a sad life. To live only for self is 
to lose the impulse of a noble purpose, and much that is 
purest and best in life. We cannot go back if we would 
to the irresponsible freedom of childhood. But as life 
deepens, and brings greater demands and severer duties, 
so has God wisely provided deeper and more constant 
joys and sympathies ; so when life is well lived, it 
grows brighter to the end. God never puts the best 
first, and to feel that He cannot clothe the whole course 
4* 



82 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

with blessing and gild the path to heaven with a golden 
light as He has in the past, is to distrust His goodness 
and love. Oh, how often we do it ! And when we give 
our love to one, and look for sympathy and aid, to be 
cared for and cherished tenderly and affectionately for- 
ever, I am convinced it is the source of the sweetest and 
purest joy, the truest and most lasting happiness. It is 
a thing ordained of God. His blessing has ever come 
signally upon the Christian home. Happiness, cheerful- 
ness, and content, if they live anywhere, we maybe sure 
it is by the fireside, and I regard it the first and chiefest 
duty to protect them and nourish their growth. In no 
other way can our cares and burdens, which will come, 
be so well borne. I am convinced that in the course of 
years we desire nothing so much as some one to love 
and care for us. Go where we will, we may be treated 
kindly, and even with great attention ; but the heart 
craves more : it must give the treasure of its love, and 
have one to whom it may make known its inner life. 
Though we have to meet duties that are real and stern, 
they bring their own light with them. We shed many 
tears, the cause of which we would not have removed. The 
most precious things cost most. " The bird we feed is 
the bird we love." For the love I bear you I feel that 
if I ever am permitted to do so, I shall assume these 
duties with cheerfulness and pleasure, and yet with 
thoughtfulness and candor. I trust you will find a 

meaning in the vows I have taken There is one 

thing I have often thought of — my profession is such 
that my business will be at home, my time spent at home. 
I shall be bound by no bell but the " sweet Sabbath 
bell." I shall be master of my own time, and have my 
own evenings. My study will be in my own house — 
clean, neat, beautiful with books and pictures. My 
business will never be where you may not be, nor will 
duty call me where you may not go. My leisure hours 



PREPARATORY TO SETTLEMENT — LETTERS. 83 

you, and not the club nor the billiard-room, would ever 
have ; and if my society is pleasant to you, this you 
would value. I must confess that I have visited few 
pleasanter homes than those of educated clergymen. 
For taste, refinement, and Christian cheer, they excel. 
This is a sunny side, but I think it is true. 

I am ever, ever yours, C. 

Boston, November 23, 1858. 
My E.: — I am once more in dear, sober, solid Bos- 
ton ; and the rain pours, and a gloomier day I never 
saw, even in this country of northeast winds. But I 
am with friends, and am well and happy and hopeful. 
My last letter to you was from New Britain, and now 
that pleasant town is far away. They came to see me in 
numbers when I left, and hoped to see me soon again. 
.... In the few weeks or months to come, how much 
depends ! I do desire to walk softly and humbly before 
God, praying His will may be done. How pleasant it 
would be, could I see you these days which are so im- 
portant to us both. But we have the Saviour, and we 

are nearest each other when nearest Him And 

now I am going to Andover, and will write you at once 
what shall befall me there. One thing I am tired of, 
and that is this constant journeying and visiting and 
being in cars and hotels. I want a place to live and 
a work to do. That day I believe will soon come. I 
pray I may be ready, and fitted in some degree for it. 
Truly yours, C. 

Andover, November 28, 1858. 
My dear E.: — 1 am once more in dear, old Andover, 
the home of so many hopes and joys, of toil and anx- 
iety, and I come to you as in days gone by. I found 
most of the students in all the schools away for 
Thanksgiving ; they have not yet returned. I came 



84 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

here Friday, and found a most cordial and cheering 
welcome from old friends. I board at Deacon Ab- 
bott's, and occupy the room I did my middle year, 
and never felt more like work. My health is per- 
fect, and my spirits have been like the sunshine. I feel 
wiser and better for my past experience, and cannot 
doubt the hand of God was in it. I look forward with 
cheerful hope. How many blessings are mine at this 
hour ! great and precious ! I have health, strength, edu- 
cation, profession, friends, prospects of usefulness, and 
you, here. And above is God, whom I can call Father, 
Saviour, Friend, and the higher eternal bliss is promised 
to me. Why should I not be grateful, cheerful, happy ? 
Hoping to hear from you soon, I remain, 

Ever yours, C. 

New Britain, November 30, J858. 
Ever dear E. : — I am at work in earnest, and I am going 
to work. Christ's vineyard needs men ; by His grace and 
in His strength I will be one. I preach in South Boston 
two Sabbaths. I am going to re-write four sermons as 
thoroughly and carefully and prayerfully as I can, and 
preach them for my Master. I have learned much re- 
cently that will be of special value to me in preaching. 
I feel I know myself better and can be truer to myself — 
to whatever is natural to me — than ever before. It is a 
great thing to learn how to preach ; to know what style 
is natural to us, and which alone can be used with real 
power and efficiency. It is the great question with 
every young man to know r how he can reproduce what 
is in him, and make himself felt on an audience. I have 
studied much to see what I had to preach, and how to 
do it. I feel that God has led me to new light slowly 
and by degrees. There has been a world within me of 
this kind, of which I have never told you— my anxieties 
and doubts and struggles— how I should like to do it 



PREPARATORY TO SETTLEMENT — LETTERS. 85 

were we together long enough. Should I come to you 
now, I could not prepare anew my sermons for next 
Sabbath. This is one reason why I want a place like 
New B., quiet, pleasant ; with books, study, and time, 
where I can work freer from care and anxiety. May 
you be led into high and true and ennobling views of 
all that is before you in life — of all that is bright and 
glorious and blessed in Heaven. I would rather have 
eternal life and His dear smile, than all this world can 
give. It is the infinite God who is our Saviour, Friend, 
and Guide ; let us walk in light and strength and joy. 
Some day our feet shall walk above the stars ; here let 
us not be under a cloud. 

Sincerely yours, C. 

Andover, December 3, 1858. 
My dear E.:— I was very glad to get your letter this 
morning and learn how you received my dispatch. It 
cost me more to say " No" to your kind invitation than 
I could write, and my heart has been with you all the 
time since ; but I could plainly see it was better for me 
to deny myself the very great pleasure I should have 
had in spending Thanksgiving with you, for many 
things demanded my time here. I was by your side 
in spirit at that long family table yesterday; did you 
feel my presence ? In a few weeks I will be there in 
person. I have much to do and to think of this week, 
and now I am going to tell it all to you; would I could 
talk it ! I have finished my sermon. I feel like preach- 
ing it ; and you cannot wish more than I that you were 

to be of the audience. I think I should see you 

Professor Phelps was very cordial and warm in the in- 
terest he expressed; so were Professors Shedd and Park 
and Barrows. I feel I have friends here, and that, you 
know, always is pleasant. My friends do all they can 
for me ; it is time for me to do something for myself 



86 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Whoever succeeds in this world must work ; and I be- 
lieve when we are most submissive and trust in God 
most, we do most ourselves. How thankful I am for 
health and all temporal blessings. 

Xow I begin my sermon to you. ist. You see by the 
enclosed letters from Xew Britain that I have the pros- 
pect of a call under the most inviting circumstances. 
A pleasant place, good people, hearty and cordial; pros- 
pect of a beautiful church, and a salary not large, but 
sufficient. 

2d. This church in South Boston is without a pastor. 
They are looking for one, and I find they have had an 
eye upon me. They will hear me as a candidate, and are 
prepared to like me. The church I know but little of. I 
learn it is united and harmonious, and anxious to settle 
a good, strong young man. Outwardly you know all I 
can tell you. It would be in Boston, near libraries, 
friends, lectures, and all the bustle and hurry, good, 
bad, happy, and indifferent, and amid the vexations of 
city life ; much, indeed, to be desired, much to be 
shunned ; prospect of doing great good, or of failing 
and being unhappy. 

3d. I have been perplexed and have not known what 
to do, and feel more than ever the need of divine aid. 
And now do you ask which way I most strongly incline ? 
I cannot tell. It is not needful to decide at once. In 
the meantime let us together seek wisdom of Him who 
alone sees our way clear, and can guide us and make 
all things work together for good. I am not so humble 
and submissive as I ought to be ; at times I feel most 
unworthy of any place. The day shall come when these 
thoughts of place shall be decided, and give way to 
pleasant and more satisfactory service for our Master. 
Yours, C 

The foregoing letter speaks of M the prospect of a 



PREPARATORY TO SETTLEMENT— LETTERS. Sj 

call " to New Britain, where he had been preaching 
several Sabbaths after leaving Hartford. While that 
prospect is before him. a brief account of the South 
Church in New Britain, and of some incidents preced- 
ing the call to Mr. Goodell by the church, may be of 
interest to us. 

The South Church was then the smaller, as it was also 
the more recently formed, of the two Congregational 
churches of New Britain. It was organized July 5, 
1842, being an offshoot from the First Congregational 
Church. The First Church is one of the notable his- 
toric churches of Connecticut. Its history reaches 
back nearly a score of years prior to the war of the 
Revolution. It was organized April 19, 1 75 S. while 
the site of the present city oi New Britain formed a 
part of the old town of Berlin. For nearly seventy 
years this church was the only church within the limits 
::' New Britain. It derived considerable lustre from 
having as it earliest pastor the Rev. John Smalley, 
D.D., who was settled over the church at its organiza- 
tion, and remained its pastor for fifty-five years. He 
was renowned as a preacher and theologian. 

The South Church from the time of its organization 
had had only one pastor, the Rev. Samuel Rockwell, 
who, u having preached a few Sabbaths to this church 
in the autumn following its "formation, received a unani- 
mous call to become its pastor, which was accepted on 
:h of December of that year. On the 4th of Jan- 
uary. 1843, he was installed," (Manual of the Church.) 
Mr. Rockwell's ministry to the church lasted more than 
fifteen years, or until June 20, 1858. It was a sue 
ful and popular ministry, during which the church was 
so prospered that it advance 1 , from the feebler, e- 
infancy to the strength of maturity. After his resigna- 



$8 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

tion he continued to reside in the town, holding honor- 
able positions in Church and State. 

During the interval between Mr. Rockwell's resigna- 
tion and the settlement of Mr. Goodell, the church 
heard various men as candidates. Some of them were 
good men, ministers of ability and experience, but for 
some cause or other the church was not inclined to 
give a call to any one of them. The hour and the 
man had not arrived until Mr. Goodell came. 

" Well do I remember," says an officer of the church, 
" the first sermon he preached. It was from the text 
Matt. xv. 9. The day was somewhat stormy and 
gloomy." But the young preacher's face had so much 
sunshine in it and his sermon was so bright, that his 
hearers found the service pleasant, and he was invited 
to come again. 

From the very first, the congregation was favorably 
disposed toward him. Besides, his pleasant face, his 
melodious voice, and his affable, genial manners were 
a recommendation. There was also in his preaching 
a warmth and a suggestion or promise of pulpit power 
which impressed many. Therefore, though a large 
and influential portion of the congregation would have 
preferred abstractly an older man of more experience 
in the ministry, he w r as chosen above all other candi- 
dates. Even the oldest and wisest in the church pre- 
ferred him. Of one of these aged members, " Uncle 
Alvin North," as he was familiarly called, one of the 
original members of the church and a member of its 
" Standing Committee " for many years, the following 
anecdotes are related as belonging to the history of 
those times. One of the candidates for settlement 
with the church, after having preached for them quite 
acceptably three or four Sabbaths, urged a speedy de- 



PREPARATORY TO SETTLEMENT — LETTERS. 89 

cision of the case. But the congregation were not 
quite ready to act ; they were not entirely satisfied that 
he was the man they wanted for a minister. After a 
pause in the meeting called to deliberate over the mat- 
ter, " Uncle Alvin " slowly rose to his feet and said : 
" Brethren, I would like to quote, as applicable to this 
case, the words of the Apostle Paul, ' Lay hands sud- 
denly on no man.' " This settled the question. The 

Rev. was not called, though a man of ability and 

of considerable experience. Soon Mr. Goodell came, 
and was heard several Sundays with great acceptance. 
Objection was made to him on account of his youth ; 
but at the meeting appointed to consider the expedi- 
ency of giving him a call, " Uncle Alvin " once more 
turned the wavering scale of decision by another quota- 
tion of Scripture : " Brethren," he said, " on a similar 
occasion to this I quoted the words of the Apostle 
Paul, I will now quote from him again. He said to 
the youthful Timothy, ' Let no man despise thy 
youth.' ' By this appeal to apostolic authority the 
objection to Mr. Goodell's youth was overcome, and 
he received the call by which he became their pastor. 
He writes to Miss Fairbanks : 

Andover, December 6, 1858. 
Friday evening I received a dispatch from a New 
Britain Committee, and Saturday morning two gentle- 
men came on to present a call from the church and 
society. They were very earnest and kind. They wish 
for my reply soon, and to be settled as soon as I think 
it best. I told them I would give them an answer in 

two or three weeks. 

Andover, December 8, 1858. 

My dearest E.: — What you wrote me con- 
cerning places was very satisfactory and gratifying. I 



90 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

think I do understand you, and so far from perplexing 
me, it strengthened me much. My mind had been verg- 
ing toward New Britain as a good, fitting, and most 
desirable position, and it is very pleasant to me to know 
that you look upon it in that light. But I will see 
you before the decision is made, and in the meantime 
we will pray for God's guidance. My mind was on 
Hartford — that has passed. It is well. I will have no 
other Hartford. I care less now than ever before where 
I go or settle. I know that the Lord will provide for 
me and that I shall not want ; that in His strength I 
shall stand and make me a pleasant and happy place 
wherever I go, if I make His glory my chief care. I 
have thought often of what you wrote me ; there is love 
and mercy in the Saviour, and pardon and sweet peace. I 

pray this may all be yours I feel stable and firm, 

and more and more a man, and less a child. My Father 
loves me, and I can look up into His face and trust. He 
is my Shepherd. He leadeth me. 

Affectionately yours, G. 

He writes : 

Axdover, December 9, 1858. 

The more I consider New Britain, the pleasanter it 
looks, and as though it was a place that a sensible man 
would choose as a desirable one for labor, with pleasant 
people and a happy home. It is a growing, enterprising 
place, with the double advantage, allowing me time in 
the study, while there is enough outward incentive to 
labor : a good field for taking hold of young men and 
building up a church. Moses Smith, a class-mate, is 
settled only four miles away. And Prof. Buckham, one 
of my most intimate college friends, a man of fine taste 
and culture, and most genial nature, would be in my 
church. Altogether, the picture is a pleasant one. 
There are many things very desirable in Boston. Once 






PREPARATORY TO SETTLEMENT — LETTERS. 9 1 

I deliberately threw aside all considerations of a place 
in that quarter. I think I shall be wise to do so now. 

Andover, December 15. 

My dear E. : — Your telegram came in due time, and 
to-day your letter tells me you are to have visitors this 
week. It is all very well. I will stay here and write a 
sermon, and go up to W. and preach on the Sabbath, 
and possibly come to St. J. the week after. That 
New Britain call ought to be decided soon, and I wish 
to see you and talk it over with you before it is done. 
All things seem to point pleasantly that way. 

I am very well, and am enjoying my stay here very 
much. I am always happy with friends and books and 
enough to do. If I can have a pleasant study and peo- 
ple, and firm health, I will be contented, and let the 
great world roll. It is a blessed and precious thing to 
preach the Gospel. Unworthy as I am, I delight to do 

it 

Yours, G. 

In accordance with the plan proposed in the forego- 
ing letter, he went to St. Johnsbury, and there, after 
deliberating further with Miss Fairbanks over the call 
from New Britain, decided to accept it. 

The time fixed for his ordination was February 2d. 
The interval was mostly spent at Andover, whither he 
went from St. Johnsbury. 

To Miss Fairbanks he writes : 

Andover, December 31, 1858. 
I am now far away from you. I cannot even hope to 
see you when it is evening. I must tell you something 
of my journey. Your father kindly waited till the cars 
started, and took my hand in parting. When I moved 
•off. how lonely I felt. I had much to think over, and 



92 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

dwelt long on this visit which seemed to bring you 
nearer to me than all others. I ate a poor dinner at P., 
and arrived in Andover at dark. There was a social 
gathering at Prof. Park's, but I was too thoughtful to 
go. That Christmas gift ! .... I shall have my slip- 
pers made at once — the pattern is beautiful, and I shall 
love to think you wrought them. This is the last day 
of the year. It has been a good year to me ; how much 
of it I love to look back upon ! But now it is gone ; this 
letter is my last. I wish I could watch the new year in 
with you to-night. But as the old year dies on the mid- 
night air, shall we not bid it an affectionate and grateful 
adieu for all the joy it has brought us ? Soon I shall 
have a pleasant parish and happy people of my own. As 

much as it involves, I love to look forward to it 

And shall this year which is to come crown our joy for- 
ever ? May we so walk that it shall bring us good and 
not evil, joy and not bitterness. 

Ever yours, C. 

Andover, January 28, 1S59. 
This is the last letter that I shall write you from An- 
dover. It is a dear place to me. Here I came to learn 
of Christ, and to prepare to be His servant. I have had 
sweet and blessed communion with Him for three years. 
He has been near me for good, and round about me in 
love and mercy. He has shown me many most glorious 
views of truth and duty, and pointed me to the higher 
work, the purer life, and to the crown. He has given 
me here health and strength, and many true and noble 
friends, and long years' of intercourse with the truest 
and best — intercourse which elevates, ennobles, and re- 
fines. He has crowned me here with far more honor, 
and given me far more favor, than I deserve. I go away 
with the blessing and kind wishes of many worthy souls. 
But this is not all, my dearest E., that has been given 



PREPARATORY TO SETTLEMENT — LETTERS. 93 

me here — not all that endears the place. A bright light 
has come into my path and a gladness into my heart 
that I did not know before, and a fire kindled upon its 

altar that warms and cheers my whole being Do 

you wonder that there is a pang in my heart as I go 
forth ? 

Ever yours, C. 

He writes from 

New Britain, February 1, 1859. 

While I am waiting for Dr. Dwinell, who comes on 
the evening train, I will write you a word, my first from 
here. Friday evening I called on all the Faculty, and 
had a very pleasant time. They gave me their blessing, 
and Saturday evening I went to Boston and out to 
Chelsea, and preached for Mr. Plumb all day. Monday 
I left all behind and came here. I found a hearty wel- 
come awaiting me. 



VI. 
STEPPING OVER THE THRESHOLD. 

1859. 



"Within this temple Christ again, unseen, 
Those sacred words hath said, 
And His invisible hands to-day have been 
Laid upon a young man's head. 

" And evermore beside him on his way 
The unseen Christ shall move, 
That he may lean upon His arm and say, 
'Dost Thou, dear Lord, approve?'" 

—Longfellow. 



; A Spirit, yet a Woman, too ! 

A countenance in which did meet 
Sweet records, promises as sweet." 

— Wordsworth. 




SOUTH CHURCH, NEW BRITAIN, CONN. 



CHAPTER VI. 

ORDINATION AND SETTLEMENT IN NEW BRITAIN, AND 
MARRIAGE. 

Mr. Goodell was ordained to the ministry and in- 
stalled the pastor of the South Church, New Britain, 
Ct., February 2, 1859. The ordination sermon was 
preached by his friend and native townsman, Rev. I. 
E. Dwinell, D.D., then the pastor of the South Church, 
Salem, Mass. The venerable Dr. Porter, of Farming- 
ton, Ct., the father of Prof. Noah Porter, subsequently 
President of Yale College, made the ordaining prayer. 
Returning to his boarding-place at the close of the ordi- 
nation exercises, the young pastor sat down and wrote : 
" Now it is all over and I am to do the work of a min- 
ister, I would be faithful and earnest. I hope to lead 
a higher and purer life, and live only for my Saviour." 

He wrote the next day the following account of the 
ordination exercises : 

February 3, 1859. 

All arrangements had been made, and the day for the 
ordination was beautiful. The church was nearly full 
at the examination at 10 o'clock. There were twenty- 
five ministers present. Dr. Dwinell told me afterwards 
that the Council were well pleased with the examination. 
The clergy and delegates all went to the Humphrey 
House to dine, and sat down at a long table together. 
Dr. Davis, of Westfield, was present. In the afternoon 
the exercises were very good. Dr. Dwinell's sermon 
was excellent. The prayer of the venerable Dr. Porter 
5 (97) 



98 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

was very touching. While his hands were on my head, 
I resolved anew to give myself to Christ, and live for 
Him and labor for Him as I have never done before. 
May it be so. The future looks bright and fair. The 
people are now all kindness and attention. May I so 
live and walk before them that it shall ever be so. It is 
a great privilege to be permitted to preach the Gospel 
of Christ. I love it more and more. Henceforth I am 
resolved to be more and do more for that One who died 
for me, and promised to me life Eternal. 

New Britain, February 5, 1859. 
My dearest E. : — Perhaps at this moment you are 
reading my account of the ordination. It was pleasant in 
every way ; all speak of it as unusually so. I do feel I was 
assisted by the Holy Spirit ; and now, oh ! how near to 
my Saviour I do hope to live ! There are mountains of 
sin to overcome, but He can forgive them all and make 
me pure as He is pure. Henceforth I am resolved to 
live in newness of life. When Christ is in the centre, 
the heavens are full of light ; but when He is pushed 
aside, nothing will satisfy or stop the vain yearning of 
the heart ; though it test all the enjoyments in the world, 
they will all be but as a tinkling cymbal. Christ only 
can give it peace and rest and abiding content. To- 
morrow is an important day. My sermons are done, 
and I hope for strength to go through with my duties. 
To how many places do we come in life where nothing 
is to be done but to go forward! Here is one thought 
I wish to put into your mind. The preparatory course 
was pleasant, but the labor of sowing — of doing for God, 
for Christ, for Heaven — is far sweeter and better. I was 
happy in the Seminary, but I am sure I shall be happier 
in the work. Labor and responsibility do not necessa- 
rily bring unhappiness and pain. God never gives 
such reward for discharge of duty. The sweetest bread 



SETTLEMENT IN NEW BRITAIN. 99 

is broken by laboring hands ; the purest fountains spring 
up by the path of active service. 

My books speak to me from every shelf in pleasant 
words. They give me great comfort. They often in- 
quire for you, and long to see you and give you their 
hearts openly. One volume of John Howe insulted me 
to-day by saying — I had turned three leaves and my 
thought was not on a single word — that if my mind was 
on a woman, I had better lay him on the shelf, and no 
longer read in mockery. 

Your remark about the missionary women pleased 
me. When will people learn to stop pitying those whom 
God honors and blesses by sending to foreign and difficult 
fields ? We at home in our selfish abundance, who never 
know what self-denial for Christ is — we are the ones to 
be pitied. When we come before the throne to receive 
our crowns, then we shall know what class of Christians 
need pity, and what class God honors. I still see many 
an hour when I wish I were in China, or beyond the 
sea, in obedience to that highest command, " Go, preach 
the Word." 

Ever sincerely yours, G. 

New Britain, February 10, 1859. 

My dear E.: — This has been a happy week with me. 
I have had as many as ten, and often fifteen calls a day; 
and last evening when I came home from prayer-meet- 
ing, which was not directly, I found the parlor full of 
visitors ; it was a very pleasant time. Next week I shall 
be very busy. I am to try the experiment of writing 
two sermons. I do not know as I shall, if the ladies 
keep up their visitations. The}'' offer to do anything in 
their power for me in my lone condition, and they hope 
I won't get homesick. 

One lady said she could not care for me as a mother, 
but would gladly do what she could for my comfort and 



IOO THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL 

happiness. Each one wants me to be very much at 
home at her house, and all are exceedingly kind. A 
gentleman took me to a long drive last Monday with a 
pair of fine black horses ; we had a beautiful time. I 
like the people ; they have many traits that are admi- 
rable. It will be a pleasure to live among them, and 1 
hope to do them good. If you were only here to talk it 
over with, and to get all these impressions as they come 
along, I could ask nothing more. It seems good to be 
at work for Christ in His vineyard. My wandering 
feet at last rest here, and I am glad and happier in view 
of it than I had hoped. 

Oh, does not the Lord make life delightful to us when 
we do His will ? It is wonderful that He gives us so 
much joy when w r e go so far astray. Do not be anxious, 
my dear E., one moment as you look forward : only fear 
that you will not live near the Saviour. When you do 
this, He will take care of all the rest. He w T ill make the 
crooked ways straight, and turn the darkness into light. 
When we look with the eyes which He can give us, the 
world is a paradise, bright with His glory, and warm 
with His love ; and life is but the walking home to His 
bosom. Hand in hand let us go together, my dear E., 
grateful that we may be blessed with an affection so 
pure, and a sympathy so deep and genial as that which 
we mutually share. It is a priceless gift ; money cannot 
buy it, neither can genius or intellect compass it. It 
comes from our Father's hand, and shall be held in 
sacred trust, and sanctified by His Spirit. 

Sunday, February 13. 

I have good things to write you, my dear E. The 
Lord has been exceeding kind to me to-day, and aided 
me, oh, how much ! I have been praying since I came 
in from church that the truth might be blessed, and that 
I might have no other aim or feeling but His honor and 



SETTLEMENT IN NEW BRITAIN. IOI 

glory. Pray for me that I may lose myself in the truth, 
and care only for God and His kingdom. It has been 
a bright, beautiful day. The house was well filled in the 
morning, and in the second service there was a marked 
stillness There is a terrible fascination (to him- 
self) in that spirit that so possesses a speaker, and he is 
in great danger. I have often most deeply felt it and 
suffered by it. I long to have the Holy Spirit sanctify 
every power within me, and use my heart as His own. 

I thank you for calling my attention to those Psalms ; 
they are meat and drink, indeed, for the Christian. I 
hope it has been a good day to you. May your heart be 
kept and blessed with the choicest influences of God's 
Spirit, for you are my dear and loved one, the hope of 
my years and the crowning of the joys that God hath 
given me. 

Ever yours, C. 

The following letter gives a pleasant description of 
the house and family where Mr. Goodell found a home 
in which he was to live during the first year of his 
ministry in New Britain. He seeks in it to give to Miss 
Fairbanks, before their marriage, a picture of the abode 
to which he is soon to bring her, and a conception of 
what her daily environment was to be during the first 
ten months of their married life : 

New Britain, February 15, 1859. 
My dear E.: — I am in my quarters for the winter, and 
I desire you to know how I look at home. I will try 
my hand at sketching, though all I attempt to draw is 
houses; I have good success just now, but my hand may 
tremble soon. You remember I told you of Walnut 
Hill, an eminence west of the village on which is the 
fountain reservoir. Just about half-way up that, stands 
Prof. Camp's house. It is a two-story, square, brown 



102 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL, 

house with flat roof and observatory, and bay-windows, 
with veranda in front, and two long rows of steps, one 
above the other, leading up through the centre of the 
grounds to the house. When a stranger calls I receive 
him or her in the parlor, and dispense words of wisdom 
or counsel, with a mild, dignified, cordial reserve. But 
when j<?« call, come up the front stairs, and turn to the 
right, and you will be welcomed into my sanctum sancto- 
rum. It is on the southeast corner. From the south 
window the eye sweeps down the beautiful valley of the 
Connecticut, resting upon the village of Berlin and its 
spires, and Kensington steeple. It is a country church, 
two and a half miles below. But come and stand by 
me at the east window. Are you looking ? and is your 
thought where your eyes are ? You see our pleasant vil- 
lage of New Britain below you ; factories of brick, 
houses of white and brown and cream, and eight spires 
(you can read the time of day from two of these), and 
the public grounds. It is a bright, round, spacious vil- 
lage, resting on a level plain, with pleasant country 
dotted with farm-houses all around. It seems to be a. 
basin, twenty miles across to the line of mountains 
beyond the river. Beyond the village to the east, you 
see the spire of Newington, and farther to the north- 
east the city of Hartford distinctly, with its spires like 
a platoon of soldiers. 

Do you not think it a pleasant view, w r ide in its out- 
lines and beautiful in all the details ? Now turn your 
eye inside and be seated in my haircloth rocking-chair, 

while I sit near you and show you the room But 

now it is dinner-time, and we will go down and I will 
introduce you to the family. This is Prof. Camp at the 
head of the table ; a tall, good-looking, Christian man, 
very active and rapid. The girl at his left is a scholar, 
and the two smaller ones next are his only two children. 
Opposite sits Mrs. Camp, a light haired, blue-eyed, 



SETTLEMENT IN NEW BRITAIN. 103 

modest, pleasant lady, who does what she can, and that 
with a happy spirit. On the right of Prof. C, sits the 
new minister, and at his right a young lady, a sister of 
an old Andover friend of mine — here at school. 

Mrs. C. is very fond of flowers ; and you see how 
pretty those plants look in the windows, with the two 
canaries above, that always sing loudest when we are at 
the table. Now we are through, let us step out on the 

veranda for a little Well, since you must go, I 

can say no more, only, now you have learned the way, 
come often. I shall always be happy when you come, 
and while you stay. For a time, my dearest E., adieu. 

New Britain, March 7, 1859. 
My dear E. : — A dispatch came to me this morning 
saying that my father died yesterday, very suddenly. 
I go home to-day, or start rather, for I cannot reach 
there before Tuesday night. How long I shall remain 
at home I do not know. I hope to have a letter from 
you there. The Lord doeth all things well. 

Ever, my dear E., yours, C L. G. 

Calais, March c, 1859. 
My dear E. : — I reached home on Tuesday evening. 
It was a sad journey, but the Lord was my comfort and 
my support. I found my dear father gone. He looked 
mild and pleasant, and I could easily have believed him 
asleep. He died on Sunday morning of apoplexy. He 
was not in pain more than ten minutes before he was 
gone. He has been troubled for years, at times, with 
pain in his chest, but it would pass away in a few min- 
utes, and my mother thought this like the others. My 
mother is very calm, and all things seem to be as well 
ordered outwardly as I could wish. I never looked 
upon death before as I do now ; neither did I ever feel 
more sure that my Redeemer liveth — my aid, my support 



104 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

and strength. Out of the depths I look unto the Lord, 
and look not in vain. I feel there was a ripening and 
preparing of circumstances for this event. It is a Provi- 
dence that has seemed gathering for months, and now 
the time has come. It seems very hard for me to endure, 
but I try in the strength of my Saviour to receive the 
lesson into my own heart, and be softened and punned 
by this affliction, which a kind Father brings. How I 
wish I could see you. I hope you are well, and that 
your parents are. Love them and do good to them 
while you may, and may they long be spared to you. 

Your own, C. 

Later he writes from New Britain : 

The people have expressed much interest and sym- 
pathy since my return. I have written a sermon on the 
fifth commandment, and it was literally written with 
tears. 

This simple record, " It was literally written with 
tears," bears impressive witness to the deep affection 
he cherished for his father. Into that sermon thus 
written, which was of the nature of a tribute to his 
parent, the essence of many tender, grateful memories, 
we may be sure, was distilled. Such tears are blessed. 
They soften and purify the heart, and they cleanse the 
eyes of the soul so that they see more clearly that dim 
celestial country where tears shall never come. 

Perhaps the young pastor required the discipline of 
this sorrow that he might be made a better minister of 
consolation to his people. Without the power of 
sympathy which the experience of sorrow gives, no 
minister can be a son of consolation to the afflicted ; 
he cannot, for the purpose of giving comfort, speak of 
things he has seen and heard, nor be able to comfort 






SETTLEMENT IN NEW BRITAIN. IO$ 

them which are in any trouble by the comfort where- 
with he himself has been comforted of God. 

Another event, having a most important bearing 
upon his success as a minister, was his marriage, which 
occurred three months after his installation as pastor. 

On the eve of his departure to be married, he re- 
ceived a gold watch as a wedding gift from the young 
men of his congregation. So costly a gift, when he 
had been with them so short a time, is evidence of the 
young pastor's popular qualities, and of the good-will 
he quickly inspired. 

To the donors, whose names were not given, he wrote 
the following letter of acknowledgment : 

New Britain, Saturday Evening, 
April 30, 1859. 

Gentlemen : — You do not permit me to know your 
names, nor to make known generally to others the 
pleasure you have given me ; and yet I would take each 
one of you by the hand and thank you heartily for this 
generous and unexpected token of your regard — not 
more beautiful and appropriate in itself than in the 
delicate and happy way in which it was conveyed to me. 
You could have made choice of nothing more acceptable 
to me. I shall love to remember it as your gift ; and as 
it records the moments which God shall spare to me, I 
will pray that they may be more diligently and faithfully 
devoted to you. 

May we all so live that when "time, the bright chro- 
nometer of days and years," shall end, we may all have 
an eternal home in that City where "there is no night," 
where they have " no need of the sun, neither of the 
moon, for the glory of God doth lighten it, and the 
Lamb is the light thereof." 

Affectionately your friend and pastor, 

C. L. Goodell. 
5* 



106 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Rev. C. L. Goodell and Miss Emily Fairbanks were 
united in marriage at St. Johnsbury, Vt., at 9 A.M., 
May 5, 1859. They were married at the residence oi 
her father, Hon. Erastus Fairbanks, or " Governor 
Fairbanks," as he was then usually styled, from having 
served the State of Vermont as its chief magistrate a 
few years before, to which office he was elected again 
in i860, to guide the ship of State with wise head and 
firm hand during that stormy period which marked the 
outbreak of the Civil War. The marriage was private ; 
performed in the presence only of family friends of the 
bride numbering thirty-six persons. A beautiful feature 
of the wedding was that two little children — Walter 
Fairbanks, six years old, and Helen Fairbanks, four 
years old — the nephew and niece of Miss Fairbanks, 
stood up with the bridal pair as they were married. 
The marriage ceremony was performed by Rev. W. W. 
Thayer of St. Johnsbury, a relative by marriage of the 
bride. 

Governor Fairbanks, though one of the most promi- 
nent and influential men in the State, by reason of his 
wealth and political honors, was not only not unwilling, 
but happy to give his daughter, who was his youngest 
child and the darling of his old age, in marriage to a 
minister of the Gospel. Years before this he had ex- 
pressed the hope that one of his daughters might honor 
herself and her father's family by choosing a minister 
for her husband. A month before the marriage, Mr. 
Goodell wrote a letter — now lost — to the parents of his 
betrothed, asking their consent to have the contem- 
plated union occur at this time. 

The reply of Governor Fairbanks has been preserved, 
and was as follows : 







&ryul^ 6? 



<r^i 



, 



HIS MARRIAGE. 107 

St. Johnsbury, May 1, 1859. 
Rev. C. L. Goodell : 

My dear Sir : — Neither Mrs. Fairbanks nor I have found 
language to express our emotions on reading your affectionate 
letter of March 31st. Our tender love for Emily would prompt 
us to retain her with us yet longer, were it not that by yielding 
her to you we consult her greater happiness. Nor would we 
feel that she is lost to us, though absent from us. She will 
love us still ; and while our love to her will not be less, it will 
be our happiness to regard you in the endearing relation of a 
son. 

Commending her to God in humble prayer, and to you in the 
language of the accompanying lines, in which Mrs. Fairbanks 
unites, I am, with affectionate regard, 

Your friend, Erastus Fairbanks. 

" The accompanying lines," referred to by Governor 
Fairbanks, are given below. The poetry was entitled 
" Wilt Thou Love Her Still/' but the name of its au- 
thor was not given : 

" Wilt thou love her still, when the sunny curls 
That o'er her bosom flow, 
Are laced with the silvery threads of age 

And her step falls sad and low? 
Wilt thou love her still, when the summer smiles 
On her lips no longer live ? " 

" Through good and ill 
I will love her still." 
"Thou wilt love her still ? then our darling child 
In marriage to thee we give." 

" Wilt thou love her still, when her changeful eyes 
Have grown dim with sorrow's rain — 

When the bosom that beats against thine own 
Throbs slow with the weight of pain ? 

When her silvery laugh rings out no more, 
And vanished her youthful charms ? " 



108 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

" I will love her still 
With right good will." 
" Thou wilt love her still ? then our darling take 
Unto thy sheltering arms." 

" Remember, no grief has she ever known, 
Her spirit is light and free ; 
None other with falterless step has pressed 

Its innermost shades but thee ; 
Wilt thou love her, then, when the joys of youth 
With her blushing bloom depart ? " 
" Through good and ill 
I will love her still." 
" Thou wilt love her still ? then our loved one take 
To the joy of thy noble heart." 

11 Remember, for thee she smiling leaves 
The friends of her early days. 
No longer to meet their approving looks, 

Or their fond, unfeigned praise ; 
Forgive her, then, if the tears fall fast, 
And promise to love her well." 
" Through good and ill 
I will love her still." 
" Thou wilt love her still ? then our darling take 
In the home of thy heart to dwell. 

" When her father is dead, and the emerald sod 

Lies green on her mother's breast ; 
When her brother's voice is no longer heard, 

And her sister's is hushed to rest, 
Oh, love her, then, for thee she looks — 

Her star on life's troubled sea ; 
With the marriage vow on her youthful lip, 

Then we give our child to thee." 

The letter and the lines were sacredly kept by Dr. 
Goodell as a precious keepsake and a reminder. No 
one saw them, not even his wife, to whom they related, 
until her father and her mother were both in their 



HIS MARRIAGE. IO9 

graves. The day after her mother was buried, when 
they had returned to their home in New Britain, he 
gave them to her enclosed in a letter of his own. 

His letter we insert here. Though out of place in 
point of time, it is most in place in respect to its connec- 
tion : 

New Britain, Ct., May 22, 1866. 

My beloved Wife: — Seven years ago this month your 
father put the accompanying note into my hand the 
day before our bridal. I read it then with overflowing 
heart, and promised my Saviour that I would be true to 
the precious one whom tender parents were committing 
to my care. The years have run on, and that loved father 
has been transferred to the better world. Now the 
mother, too, is gone. Yesterday we returned from the 
burial. 

The anticipation of the poet has been realized — 

" When her father is dead, and the emerald sod 
Lies green on her mother's breast " ; 

And she, whom I took in the freshness and beauty of 
youth from a happy home, has seen that father and 
mother pass away and that home broken up ; but I re- 
joice that in this, the day of her loneliness and need, I 
may be true to my vow — 

" Through good and ill 
I will love her still." 

It is a comfort to me, my dear wife, that I can be more 
to you now than I could then; for then you had others 
so near and dear that you felt little need of new ones; 
but they being gone, one by one, leave a wider place 
for me. 

I have been sitting in my study this morning thinking 
over all our happy years together, and thanking God 



110 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

for them and for you ; and it shall be my earnest en- 
deavor so to live in the future as better to merit that 
love which I know you give me, and to cause you to for- 
get, in part, if you can, the loss of other friends, by a more 
thoughtful and kindly attention to your every want. 

In that deep and tender love, which for more than 
seven years has made life a constant blessing and joy to 
me, and left nothing to be desired, God grant that we 
may long live. 

I am, my dearest Emily, 

Ever affectionately yours, 

C. L. Goodell. 

We need not say that the union in marriage with Miss 
Fairbanks thus consummated, was an important event 
in the life of Dr. Goodell. Marriage is always an im- 
portant event. Birth, marriage, death, these are the 
three principal events in every man's life, as the world 
reckons, and perhaps rightly. If Michelet's saying be 
true, that " Woman is the Sunday of man ; not his 
repose only, but his joy ; the salt of his life "; then when 
he takes a wife, though she be not of the best, he comes 
to an event which is fraught with great consequences. 
She makes him or she mars him. He can be no hap- 
pier or better than she allows him to be ; and he be- 
comes what he is at length, and does what he does, be- 
cause she is his helpmeet. 

Dr. Goodell was most happy in his marriage. Few 
men owe so much of their happiness and success to 
their wives as he to his. We may say of her, with 
reference to her husband, what a distinguished man of 
letters has said of the wife of Agassiz : " The companion 
of his journeys, the partner of his thoughts, troubles, 
anxieties, triumphs, and aspirations, she was at once the 
wife of his mind and of his heart." 






HIS MARRIAGE. Ill 

Dr. Goodell could not have done his great work in 
the world but for her assistance. He knew it ; he often 
said it. In his work of the ministry, he credited her 
with fully a half of what was accomplished. In his 
study there was a significant token of her share in the 
work. His writing-desk had two sloping sides, and was 
otherwise arranged for two persons. At that desk they 
worked together, face to face. To a friend who was 
visiting him, and who had noticed the peculiar con- 
struction of the desk, he laughingly said : " I get my 
inspiration from the other side." While he worked at 
his sermons, she was there writing letters in answer to 
his numerous correspondents or to members of the 
congregation. She was his companion also in his pas- 
toral work from house to house, laboring to win souls, 
or to comfort the afflicted, or to carry to strangers the 
warmth of a Christian welcome with an enthusiasm 
equal to his own. In the pastoral care and adminis- 
tration of the church she had a full share. She was 
cognizant of the work assigned to various committees, 
knew who composed those committees, and with what 
success they wrought. Together she and her husband 
consulted and prayed over all the interests of the great 
congregation committed to their charge. Nothing 
weighed upon his heart which did not also weigh upon 
hers. Almost everywhere and always she was his com- 
panion in a gentle, unobtrusive, womanly way. Thus, 
as another has said of their united labors, " the ministry 
of teaching and consolation was made more strong and 
gracious by the union of manliness and womanliness 
that were wedded in every word that was spoken and 
every act of service or divine charity." 

Whenever he went away from home upon a journey 
in which she could not accompany him, it was her habit 



112 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

to place in his hand at parting an envelope containing 
a written card with texts of Scripture appropriate to 
the time, or to his spiritual need, as she had divined it. 
Thus the girdle of truth which he wore, and by which 
his soul was strengthened to meet and overcome the 
spiritual foes and opposing obstacles encountered, was 
fastened by the hands of his wife upon him. She 
girded him for battle and for the triumph of victory. 
It was in accord, therefore, with the habit of her life, 
that when he was about to start upon that journey to 

"The undiscovered country, from whose bourn 
No traveller returns," 

though neither of them was aware of it, she should 
give him as a viaticum the text which made his death 
seem like a translation. So they pursued together, as 
long as he lived, their busy pilgrimage of Christian toil 
and high emprise, like the Lady Una and the Red- 
Cross Knight of Spenser's poem. 

To her now waiting behind, we repeat anew the ex- 
quisite words of Tennyson, quoted by Dr. Lamson, 
the pastor of her father's and brothers' church in St. 
Johnsbury, Vt., in his admirable commemorative dis- 
course upon Dr. Goodell, the Sabbath following his 
death : 

" Break not, O woman's heart, but still endure, 

Remembering all the beauty of that star 
Which shone so close beside thee, that ye made 
One light together. 

May all love, 
His love unseen but felt, o'ershadow thee ; 
The love of all thy people comfort thee 
Till God's love set thee at his side again." 



HIS MARRIAGE. 113 

As the writer thinks of the married life of this wed- 
ded pair, he is reminded of a passage in one of Dr. 
Bushnell's letters to his wife : 

I am sure that there is nothing more beautiful and more to 
be envied by the poets than this same charm of power by which 
a good wife detains her husband. It is not an ambitious, noisy 
power; it is silent, calm, persuasive, and often so deep as to 
have its hold deeper than consciousness itself. She does not 
take him away from the rough world and its drudgeries ; does 
not make him less than a man : but still he will, in all he does, 
be her man ; and if the rough calls of duty which worry him 
give way for a time, then he discovers that she is still presiding 
over his happiness, and as a very small helm, guiding his way. 
He is proud of her without knowing it, loves her when he is 
too weary or too much bent on his objects to be conscious of 
his love, deposits his soul in hers and thinks it still his own. 
She ministers and yet is seldom ministered unto. She makes 
his future and ascribes it to himself. 

Equally helpful and beautiful was Dr. Goodell's love 
and devotion for his wife. It was an ideal example of 
husbandly love. He was a tender and most devoted 
lover to the last. His manner toward her in society- 
intimated it ; his letters to her clearly show it. He 
preferred her society to that of any other. "The 
beautiful courtesy," we are told, "with which he al- 
ways treated his wife was a constant example to his 
people. He delighted to honor her, and to express 
his appreciation of the help and comfort she was to 
him. He seemed to fear to leave it unexpressed." 

One evening at prayer-meeting, he was talking famil- 
iarly to his people in St. Louis about the way in which 
God had led him, and, his wife not being present, he 
spoke of his marriage. " It had been better," he said, 
" than he could have anticipated at the time, not only 
as regarded his own personal happiness in his home- 



114 THE LI FE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

life, but in the incidental advantages and opportunities 
that had come to him through it from his connection 
with her family. He had been blessed with privileges 
that had added greatly to his ministerial power and 
means of usefulness." 

He was a home-loving man, and his deportment and 
kindness in his family were such that his home was al- 
ways the most attractive place to them. There, his 
face, which was always benignant, wore its sweetest 
expression — 

" To mark all bright hours of the day 
With hourly love." 

His voice, which was always keyed to a pleasant 
pitch, and, to quote Mrs. Browning again, — 

" Like a stream, could run 
Smooth music from the roughest stone, 
And every morning with ' Good Day ' 
Make each day good," — 

was wont there to use its sweetest tones. 

In short, it may be said of him, as it was said of 
Charles Kingsley, that " home was to him the sweetest, 
the fairest, the most romantic thing in life, and there 
all that was best and brightest in him shone with steady 
and purest lustre." 



VII. 
RIPENING INTO POWER. 

1859— 1865. 



" If I can put one touch of a rosy sunset into the life of any 
man or woman, I shall feel that I have worked with God." — 
George MacDonald. 

" I'm proof against that word failure. I've seen behind it. The 
only failure a man ought to fear is failure in cleaving to the 
purpose he sees to be best." — George Eliot. 

"The primal duties shine aloft like stars: the charities that 
soothe and heal and bless lie scattered at the feet of men like 
flowers."— Wordsworth. 



CHAPTER VII 



WORK. 






AFTER a short wedding journey, in which Concord, 
N. H., Boston and Newton, Mass., were visited, Mr. 
and Mrs. Goodell arrived at their first home in New 
Britain, the residence of Professor Camp, in whose fam- 
ily they were to find a pleasant and happy home for 
nearly a year. Mr. Goodell, in the following letter 
to Governor Fairbanks, speaks of their journey, and 
their auspicious beginning of life together among their 
people: 

New Britain, May 16, 1859. 

Hon. Erastus Fairbanks — My dear Sir ; .... Our 
journey was a very pleasant one in all respects. E. is 
well, and sends her love. She is reading by the table 
from which I write. Our first Sabbath passed pleasantly, 
and without any untoward incident. I know of a min- 
ister who forgot his wife on the first Sabbath, and went 
home from church without her ! Give my kindest re- 
gards to the family, and believe me, 

Most respectfully yours, C. L. Goodell. 

Professor Camp, speaking of him as a member of his 
family, says : 

We shall long remember his loving-kindness, his spiritual 
ministrations in our household, his genial nature, and his con- 
stant personal interest in those about him. Both of my daugh- 
ters united with the church under his ministry, and our 

(117) 



118 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

whole family feel indebted to him for spiritual instruction and 
blessing. 

During the first three months of his residence in our family 
he was often in my study, and I had an opportunity to know 
something of the difficulties which surrounded him, and of the 
struggles which came to him in those first weeKs of pastoral 
work. The church had had but one pastor before. He had mar- 
ried in the congregation, and was connected with many of the 
leading families. Though dismissed at his own request, and I 
believe always a true friend of Mr. Goodell, still he had largely 
the affections of the people, and still residing in the place there 
was inevitably in the minds of some persons a comparison con- 
stantly going on between the old, experienced, and beloved 
pastor, and the young, untried man who had taken his place in 
the ministry. Mr. Goodell was aware of this, and spoke of it 
to me freely in confidence, but not in complaint. He realized 
that his methods would be subject to criticism, and his manner 
of performing many duties might appear less desirable than 
that of the former pastor. Deeply sensitive to criticism, and 
yet conscious of inexperience, he often felt that he needed 

special divine aid to perform his varied duties During 

those first weeks he was much in prayer for divine guidance. 

I remember very well his saying he missed the experience he 
would have gained had he himself been a member of a church 
in his early life, and been accustomed to take a special personal 
interest in acts of worship and in Christian duties. But he did 
not fail in any of the duties of a pastor. His personal interest 
in all the members of his flock, his genial nature, his self- 
forgetfulness and devotion to the welfare of others, soon won 
the confidence of all. 

When the first funeral was to be attended by him, some of 
his friends were anxious. The former pastor, knowing person 
ally every member of the parish, had been exceedingly happy 
in adapting his remarks to the peculiar circumstances of each 
person whose funeral he attended. How was this young min- 
ister to do, and particularly in the case of a prominent person ? 
But one of the most anxious said, after the services were over, 
he had no further anxiety. Mr. Goodell's simple, unostentatious 
manner won the hearts of all, and his well-chosen words had a 
deep spiritual meaning which disarmed all prejudice or criti- 






FIRST YEARS IN THE MINISTRY. 119 

cism. When he had attended the first funeral, married his 
first couple, and administered baptism for the first time, he 
said a great load was off his mind. 

He was methodical from the first, carefully husbanding the 
time, giving a certain portion to his study, and another well- 
defined portion to pastoral visits. Yet he was always ready to 
minister to the afflicted or counsel the inquiring. 

He writes to Governor Fairbanks : 

New Britain, November 30, 1859. 

My dear Sir : — When the poet Cowper once received 
a very gratifying token of remembrance anonymously^ 
he wrote to a valued friend, Lady Hesketh, who would 
be likely to do such things, appointing her Thank-Master- 
General, requesting her to give his thanks to all such as 
she had reason to think were concerned in the matter. 

A few days ago, I was very much pleased by the recep- 
tion of a certificate of Honorary Membership from the 
rooms of the American Board, through the kindness of 
" friends in St. Johnsbury." Will you allow me to ap- 
point you " Thank-Master-General," with full power to 
give my most hearty thanks to all whom you may sus- 
pect of having a share in this most agreeable surprise 
and much prized favor. We are very well, and none the 
worse for the pleasant festivities of last week. Our 
house is going on well now. We have been selecting 
paper to-day. E. sends much love. 

Very respectfully yours, 

C. L. Goodell. 

He writes to the Rev. Austin Hazen, just settled in 
Norwich, Vermont : 

December 12, 1859. 
Your letter came just as I was in travail for a Thanks- 
giving Sermon. I wrote on the subject of "The New 
England Homes." It was a poor sermon, I thought ; 



120 THE LIFE OF CONST ANS L. GOODELL. 

but the people seemed to think otherwise, and I did not 
undeceive them. The day passed pleasantly. I recalled 
our old times, and gave a happy thought to " auld lang 
syne." .... 

I have not preached on John Brown yet, but I have 
felt very deeply. O what a witheri?ig y damnable curse slavery 
is ! I can overlook the sins of the politicians like Wise, 
etc., who live by stealing human souls, and get office by 
blustering. But the preachers of the Gospel who up- 
hold it, and twaddle about its benign influence, — God 
have mercy upon them if He please. I can't ! 

I rejoice in your success at Norwich, and pleasant 
situation. I would like very much to be near you, and 
see you from time to time. My heart often longs for 
the things you can say. 

A year of labor is nearly closed ; I have enjoyed it 
very much. It is a very great privilege to preach the 
Gospel. I am sensible how poorly I do it ; how un- 
worthily I live ; but it is my prayer that God may use 
me as an instrument for His glory, poor as I am. 

I mean to live nearer to God than ever before, and 
feel the power of His presence daily. I believe that as 
of old so now, fire will fall from heaven at the earnest 
call of the heart in faith. 

He writes to the same : 

March 18, 1861. 

My heart is leading me northward to those college 
days when we used to return in the early spring from 
our winter schools, and in those dingy rooms recount 
the experiences of the campaign. Those were merry 
days, .... but I should not be happy now in such a 
way of spending life. I have nothing to go back for. 
The Christian's life and treasure are in the future. 

In looking over the experience of my ministry of two 
years I can see fruits in my own heart which I thank 



FIRST YEARS IN THE MINISTRY. 121 

God for. I should expect to be changed in that time in 
many things. The "field" is not like the "parade 
ground." I believe that I am more convinced through 
and through intellectually of the truth of Christianity 
than I ever have been before. The conviction that the 
Bible is the very word of the present ruling God, who 
also made nature, possesses me with irresistible force. 
I seem to see with increasing clearness that Christ, as 
revealed in the Bible, is both the wisdom and the power 
of God. 

You may be surprised and say, " Did you not believe 
this before?" "Yes, I did." But there are degrees in 
belief, and now I know it. And in all theological, and 
especially in Biblical knowledge I think I have gained 
much. 

On the other hand, I do not feel myself to be deepen- 
ing in spiritual knowledge, maturing in holiness as fast 
as I hoped to, and as it is my duty to I have en- 
joyed much in prayer, in meditation. I have loved to 
reckon myself as one of Christ's children, to follow after 
Him, to share His fortunes here and hereafter. But I 
have not felt that sacred uplifting which I did at times 
in Andover, and which it is my privilege to feel. 

Yet I learn to distrust feeling and to give little thought 
to it. I believe that much which men count as from 
God is simply human. The heart is greatly in danger 
of being deceived by moods and earthly frames and 
"motions," as the fathers termed it. 

I believe more and more as a preacher, in the Bible, 
and less and less in man. I think we often stand in the 
way of the Bible. Our work is simply to unveil, so 
to speak, to wipe off the mist and obscurations from the 
glass and let the hearer look through it to Christ, to 
heaven, to hell, as there seen. I believe conversions will 
begin when we stand one side and let the pure truth 
preach So I am trying more and more to practice. . . . 



122 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Have you seen the " Life of George Miiller" ? It is a 
wonderful book, and as hard to believe as the book of 
Jonah. But I feel it will do great good as well as some 
harm. I think that in that direction we are to expect 
great things in the coming experience of the Church. 
We must believe more, trust more, act as if God did not 
make His promises for buncombe. Many now seem to 
think them orientalisms. 

" Dr. Goodell's first work in New Britain," says Pro- 
fessor Camp, " was to a great extent preparatory. The 
church at that time had about two hundred and twenty 
members, ten less than it had five years before. And 
yet during those five years it had enjoyed the revival 
of 1857, so extensive in New England, and as the fruits 
of which more than thirty had united with the church 
on the confession of faith. 

" For the first five years of Mr. Goodell's pastorate 
the number uniting with the church on the confession 
of faith was less than the number who died, and the 
removals by letter and discipline so nearly equalled the 
number received by letter that the number of members 
in 1863 was precisely the same as in 1859 5 an< ^ m two 
of these five years, from 1859 to ^63, there had been 
a loss in membership." 

The preceding extracts from Professor Camp's com- 
munication give us an interesting picture of Mr. Good- 
ell as a young pastor, with some suggestive facts in 
regard to the size of the church and its stationary 
condition, as to members, during the first years of his 
ministry. The reasons for this stationary condition of 
the church during those years are not far to seek. 
They lay partly in the nature of the times, and partly, 
perhaps, in the young pastor's lack of experience. The 



FIRST YEARS IN THE MINISTRY. 1 23 

times were those which preceded and covered the great- 
er part of the war of the Rebellion. They were times 
of great public excitement and distraction — when the 
thoughts and interest of the American people were 
largely engrossed with the events then occurring, and 
the questions of their relation to the welfare and even 
the existence of the nation. 

Such times of intense political and worldly excite- 
ment are usually unfriendly to religion. The agitation 
of mind they produce hinders reflection. The subjects 
they suggest and the cares they create " choke the 
word and it becometh unfruitful." As it was in New 
Britain, so was it all over the country : there were but 
few additions to the churches during those years. The 
themes of the pulpit were patriotic. The preachers 
dwelt much upon the value of our free institutions, 
and the duty of preserving them at whatever cost. 
They praised and cheered those who took up arms 
and went to battle in defense of the nation, and they 
breathed a spirit of hope and resignation into the 
hearts of their kindred at home. 

Mr. Goodell was deeply interested in the war, and 
his public utterances from the pulpit and the platform 
were well calculated to inspire his hearers with patriotic 
ardor and a sense of the obligations of citizenship. 
One of his hearers in the church at New Britain, now 
a minister of the Gospel, says : 

Before I was directly interested in the spiritual truths pre- 
sented in my pastor's sermons, I was interested and stimulated 
by his illustrations drawn from history. I came to share his 
intense sympathy with those who in all time, especially in Eng- 
land, had struggled for civil and religious liberty, and though 
those were my impressions when I was a boy from eleven to 
seventeen, I am inclined to think that he was doing much, in 



124 THE LI FE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

an incidental way, to lay the foundation for good citizenship, 
to lead all of his hearers, and especially those who should vote 
or go forth to bear arms for the preservation of the Union, to 
value as they should the priceless inheritance of liberty that 
had been obtained for them at such great sacrifices. 

At the annual Commencement of Vermont Univer- 
sity, in August, 1862, he was invited to give the ad- 
dress to the " Society for Religious Inquiry." Under 
the influence of the times he chose for his subject 
" Oliver Cromwell and the English Commonwealth." 
Such a subject for an address to a " Society for Relig- 
ious Inquiry " does not seem the most appropriate. 
But the state of the public mind compelled it. " We 
have been awakened," he said, " from our dream that 
the millennium was coming upon us in a smooth and 
easy progress, and we cannot do better now than to 
contemplate topics and find examples suited to the 
present time of strife. Such a topic is to be found in 
the struggle for English liberty, such an example in 
Oliver Cromwell." 

In considering those first five years of Mr. Goodell's 
ministry, we should also remember his inexperience. 
Like other men he had to pass through a period of 
apprenticeship before he could become a skilled work- 
man. The pastoral wisdom and efficiency which so 
greatly distinguished his prime were not his at first. 
He acquired them by degrees, only after long practice 
and various mistakes, and not until he had become rid 
of some false notions and beliefs. 

" I began my ministry," he said many years later, 
" in the belief that man must wait for God, sow the 
seed faithfully, and wait. There is a half truth here. 
I am likely to end my ministry with the strongest con- 
viction that God is waiting for man. The seed is sown ; 



FIRST YEARS IN THE MINISTRY. 1 25 

the fields are white ; it remains for the harvest-men 
to gather sheaves, working often together in praying 
bands and in revival bands, cheering each other as with 
psalm and song they shout the ' Harvest-Home.' ' 

By reason of the belief just spoken of, he was not at 
first so strenuous and aggressive in his efforts to win 
souls as in his later years. He sowed the seed, but 
did not as actively wield the sickle. The accessions to 
the church were, therefore, not numerous. His was a na- 
ture and religious spirit that could not be content with 
this. He was led to examine his beliefs and theories 
in regard to the Christian preacher's work, and to test 
their accuracy by the teaching of the Bible. He con- 
cluded that he had misunderstood that teaching some- 
what. Its true teaching is that sowing and reaping, 
praying and working go together. " Elijah did not 
pray for rain and fold his hands and wait, compliment- 
ing himself on the grace of patience in being able to 
abide God's own time. He prayed earnestly for rain 
and made haste to get ready for it, for there was a 

sound of its speedy coming Our expectation is 

from God, and God does not disappoint expectation. 
The atonement for sin has been made, the feast 
spread and the invitations sent, — Christ has com- 
pleted His work. It is for man now to do his. 
. . . . If we subject ourselves to the conditions on 
which God bestows blessing, it will forthwith come. 
True efforts in Christ's name and power to save souls 
do not fail of results." .... Such was the course of 
his thoughts, and such his conclusion, as written out 
and published to the world in later years. An incident 
in his pastoral experience at that time had great influ- 
ence in bringing him decisively to this result. 

11 Across the street, opposite my study," he says, 



126 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

" there was once a beautiful house where a worthy 
family lived, as yet without a Christian hope. They 
were my parishioners and valued friends. Often in 
my study alone did I pray with the greatest earnestness 
for their conversion, but in vain. One day as I was 
looking from my windows over their cultivated grounds 
and inquiring within myself why they did not become 
Christians, I saw the fountain playing in the yard, and 
it occurred to me that the water was carried there from 
the reservoir by a pipe laid to their home. I noticed, 
too, the street lamp on the corner of their grounds, 
and remembered that gas-pipes communicated with 
that. Without these pipes laid directly to this house 
there would be neither water nor light there, however 
abundant the supply might be at the source. It flashed 
on me like a revelation that my prayers were vain alone. 
I resolved at once to carry the water of life and the 
light thereof straight into that home, praying as I 
went ; and soon, by God's grace, it became a rejoicing 
Christian household. I had been waiting for God to 
convert that family. He had been waiting for me to 
carry His salvation there. That incident has colored 
my whole ministry. I have prayed more than before, 
but I have charged myself with bearing special tidings 
to individual hearts, whether I spoke from the pulpit 
or along the wayside and from house to house as did 
St. Paul." 

For years, as he also confessed, he seemed in his 
work to be like a man standing up before four or five 
hundred empty bottles trying to fill them from the 
platform with a hose. The water dashed over them 
and a little of it went in, but not much was accom- 
plished. Then he tried a different way. He took up 
a bottle, put in a funnel and filled that bottle. Then 



FIRST YEARS IN THE MINISTRY. 1 27 

he filled another, and then another. In other words, 
he worked with individuals, and in this way more was 
accomplished. One by one the souls were gathered in, 
hand-picked. Each new one represented much prayer 
and labor, often for years. 

Having thus found " a more excellent way," he was 
prompt to act upon it. Enjoying the sympathy and 
active help of his wife in all that he did, he set on foot 
various plans of work, with the aim of reaching more 
effectively and winning to Christ the unconverted mem- 
bers of his congregation and the irreligious people of 
the community. 

He made his greatest efforts in behalf of the young. 
AVhile he was eminently adapted to secure the confi- 
dence and respect of all classes and conditions in life, 
he seemed to have a special power over the young. 
The mothers of his congregation remember him most 
gratefully for the interest he took in their children and 
the powerful influence he exerted over them. There 
was magnetism about him which the children could 
not resist. They all loved their dear pastor ; his large, 
warm heart and bright, sunny face always attracted 
them ; his peculiar tact and winning speech were sure 
to gain their attention ; even the little ones in the 
infant-class at the Sunday-school concert listened with 
almost breathless attention to little incidents related 
by him. 

One of these children, thus blessed with his pastoral 



My remembrance of him goes back to my earliest years, when 
he used frequently to call upon my grandmother, who was for 
many years an invalid. I was but seven years old when she 
died, yet those visits stand out very conspicuously among my 
childish memories. My cup of happiness was full, when I was 



128 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

allowed, if I sat quietly, to stay in the room during his call. 
Occasionally I was taken on his knee and kissed by him. He 
was so winning with children, and the lambs of his flock had 
such watchful care and tender nursing, that they had no wish 
to wander, but readily came into the church when older. I 
was fifteen when I came out on the Lord's side. 

This power over children was doubtless due to his 
unaffected interest in and love for the young, and his 
appreciation of the importance of bestowing upon them 
the most careful and thoughtful labor. When the Dan- 
ish sculptor, Thorwaldsen, first went back to Copen- 
hagen, his own city, after he had become famous as an 
artist in Rome, his studio was thronged with admiring 
visitors. A great lady, seeing him one day take some 
clay T into his hands and begin to model, said to him : 
' I suppose, Herr Professor, you do not do such work 
yourself when you are in Rome ? " She supposed that 
inferior workmen were given work like that. But the 
great artist replied : " I assure you, madam, that this 
is the most essential thing.'* Dr. Goodell's estimate 
of the importance of the religious work done for chil- 
dren in their plastic age, was similar to the Danish 
artist's estimate of the work to be done on his clay. 
It is the work which gives shape to the ultimate char- 
acter. Character at that time of life is in the clay. The 
form it shall assume in after-life is determined then. 
Work for the children is, therefore, worthy of the best 
abilities. Instead of being left to ignorant, unskilful 
hands, it should be taken in hand by the most compe- 
tent one to do it, usually the pastor himself. 

He possessed great tact, and, like the apostle, being 
crafty, sometimes caught them with guile. We are 
told that the young people of his parish formed a 
dancing party during one of those first winters of his 



FIRST YEARS IN THE MINISTRY. 129 

ministry. A brother minister, settled in a neighboring 
town, had the same problem to deal with. The fasci- 
nation and excitement of their worldly amusement were 
entirely destructive of religious thoughtfulness, and 
his efforts to interest them in religion were likely to 
be utterly futile. He came over to see Mr. Goodell 
in regard to it. The matter had so troubled him, 
he said, that he had shut himself in his study in his 
anguish of mind, and even prostrated himself upon the 
floor. 

Mr. Goodell thought that he would not spend much 
time in useless anguish or idle prostration on his study 
floor, but that something must be done. He went 
out and bought a large number of chairs, which he 
stored in the attic of his house. He then invited 
the young people to his house on the evening of 
their dancing meeting. So popular was the pastor 
with them that they could not refuse. They came 
in force. The chairs were brought down from the 
attic. They sang together, Mrs. Goodell played for 
them on the piano, and a most delightful evening 
was passed. At its close, they were invited to come 
the next week on the same night. These meetings at 
the parsonage were continued until they developed into 
a " young people's prayer-meeting/' out of which a re- 
vival came. " I well remember," says our informant 
above quoted, " the inauguration of those young 
people's meetings at his house, and how ingeniously 
and wisely he managed to draw out one after another 
of the brightest and most hopeful of them into a full 
consecration to an active Christian life. Several of 

them have since entered the Christian ministry 

He never seemed satisfied with a mere formal confes- 
sion of Christ, but was ever most earnest in his exhor- 
6* 



130 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

tations to those who had obtained a hope for them- 
selves, to labor faithfully for others." 

The following letter, addressed to a young girl, and 
treasured by her until now, a period of twenty-five 
years, as a precious keepsake, shows how tenderly and 
wisely the young pastor cared for the lambs that were 
gathered by his labors into the fold of the Church : 

New Britain, March 4, 1S62. 
My dear Annie : — I have just recorded your name 
in the church book, as I humbly trust the Saviour has 
recorded it long before in the Book of Life. You have 
now come within that fold which Christ has prepared 
for His lambs, and for which your heart has been long- 
ing, never to go out until your Saviour shall call you 
home. I thank the Lord that He has brought you thus 
early to love Him, and to be one of His children. I trust 
that God will give you a long and useful life, and grant 
you grace to become more and more like Christ. There 
are two thoughts that I wish to give you now that you 
may carry them with you always. 

1. Do not look to other Christians for your standard 
of religious duty, but rather to the Bible. It is very 
natural for us to think if we are about like others we 
are safe. But Christ gives us the only perfect example. 
Strive to be like Him. 

2. The surest way to benefit ourselves is to live to do 
good to others. If we endeavor to be a blessing to those 
around us, God will take care of us, and fill our hearts 
with joy and peace. 

Your Friend and Pastor. 

He stimulated h"s people to benevolent activity by 
his wise and earnest teaching, by his example, and by 
giving them definite work to do. Once he said to 
them, " I have no right to do your giving or your work- 



FIRST YEARS IN THE MINISTRY. 131 

ing any more than your Bible reading, and praying, and 
confession of sin." He early adopted, from his ideal 
of the successful pastor, the belief that he should train 
his people to work, as well as be a diligent, untiring 
worker himself. " The ministry/' he said, "by per- 
mitting too much to be imposed on them, have robbed 
the Church of its vitality, as a mother harms her chil- 
dren by taking all the household cares on herself." He 
acted upon this view throughout his ministry, and so 
formed in each of the churches to which he ministered 
a large and effective corps of workers, whose co-opera- 
tion greatly added to and enlarged the results of his 
own personal efforts. He realized the importance of 
numbers combined for a definite end. The power of 
giving battle and of winning victory is not in the gen- 
eral, nor in the general and his officers, but in the army 
as directed by them. So the Church can make the 
conquest of the world and subdue it to Christ, not by 
the efforts of the ministry and church officers alone, 
but by the united efforts of all its members. 

A good illustration of his organizing power and skill 
in working up an interest in a subject is afforded by 
an account we have received of the " Missionary Con- 
certs " of the South Church, New Britain, during his 
pastorate. It is a good model for the missionary con- 
cert, which often is a dull and unprofitable meeting, 
because of its narrow range, the few who participate in 
it, and the lack of variety, freshness, and fulness in the 
matter presented. Rev. Chas. E. Steele, of New Britain, 
who grew up in the South Church, speaking of those 
missionary concerts, as planned and directed by Dr. 
Goodell, says : 

Every one of them was like a symposiwn of missions, so in- 
teresting and fresh were the facts brought in from every quar- 



132 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

ter of "this round globe." There was Deacon S. : his tongue 
unloosed in that meeting, if in no other, to tell us of the prog- 
ress made in nominally Christian lands by the work of the 
American and Foreign Christian Union ; and Dr. W., with his 
terse and telling statements of the work of Home Missions in 
our own country, giving me, at a very early age, a kind of prel- 
ude to Dr. Josiah Strong's work on " Our Country," though I 
never could at that time sympathize with the mortal dread the 
good doctor had that the Papacy might become a dominant 
power here. Already faith in the perpetuity of the institutions 
planted and nourished here by our free Protestantism had been 
lodged in my mind by my pastor's preaching as an antidote to 
such fears. Then there were more reports from the wide world 
field by Prof. C, Prof. B., Dea. W., Dea. Chas. P., and others ; 
while the pastor had a large map and a long pointer to enable 
us to fix the locality of the incidents narrated, and often a let- 
ter from some missionary friend to give a personal interest to 
the work of the missionaries. He always spoke and prayed 
with such a living interest and enthusiasm in missions that I 
could not help the impression that he had greatly desired to go 
himself as a missionary, but had been providentially hindered, 
that he might stir us up to a more intelligent conception of 
the grandeur of the work and our responsibility for helping 
save the world as co-laborers with Christ. 

He seemed to have an unlimited capacity for work, 
and an abounding energy and vitality which infused new 
vigor and life into every part of the church work. He 
was the inspiring leader of his people in all that work. 
He possessed unusual sagacity for executing his many 
plans for developing Christian character in his church. 
Some object of benevolence or charity, either at home 
or abroad, might be demanding special attention. They 
were made to feel an interest, and the object was se- 
cured, but in such a way that they did not feel the 
pressure of the pastor's hand, or sometimes even know 
that he was manipulating the wires, until the happy 
result was secured. One of the Sunday-school super- 



FIRST YEARS IN THE MINISTRY. 1 33 

intendents of the South Church says : " The helpful 
inspiration I derived from him, in connection with my 
work, was continuous and invaluable. When in town 
he never failed to be present with us.'"' 

Dr. Goodell gave particular attention to the improve- 
ment of the prayer-meeting. In a private note-book 
of that time he wrote : " I try harder to make a good 
prayer-meeting than anything else." He valued it be- 
cause the church there bears impressive witness to the 
truth in a more emphatic and audible manner than in 
any other place. The voice of the church is heard there 
as well as the voice of the preacher. According as this 
is true of it, will be its interest and power. If the 
church is backward there in supporting with her con- 
curring testimony what the preacher says — if, while the 
minister urges and the Spirit invites, the "Bride" is 
silent, and does not second His entreaty by saying 
" come " — the Gospel is likely to be unheeded. That 
the prayer-meeting might be a potent, stirring, evangel- 
izing force — that it might be a live, inspiriting, attractive 
place to old and young — Dr. Goodell spared no pains to 
prepare himself for it, and earnestly besought the mem- 
bers of the church to co-operate with him by their 
presence, and a prompt, hearty participation in its ex- 
ercises. 

We have interesting proof of this in his own writings, 
as well as in the testimonies of his people. It was his 
habit to write in a note-book such thoughts as came to 
him for the instruction and edification of his people. 
Some of them he found in his reading, and jotted down 
for future reflection and expansion. Many or the most 
of them were his own. He wrote them down to give 
them shape and apt expression. In the course of his 
ministry he filled many note-books with these thoughts. 



134 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

It is evident from pencil-marks in the margins that they 
were the germs of prayer-meeting talks. Some of them 
have the epigrammatic pith and finish of aphorisms — 
others the sparkle and beauty of gems. We surmise 
that they were spoken as we find them written, and 
that they will be recognized by many who heard them. 
The following are examples : 

Christ went to the mountain to be alone with God — 
a needful thing. The prayer-meeting is our mountain. 
We come to this resting-place for life's burdens. 

This room is the starting-place of many mercies. 

May our acts and our mouths keep together. 

It will be no strange thing for us to enter heaven if 
we live in the things of heaven. Heaven is no foreign 
land to those who love God, but only their native land. 

If we think little of sin we shall think little of grace. 

Many are busy gathering thorns to rest on. 

The manna that fell yesterday can refresh no soul 
to-day. 

It was the Sabbath day that first met the gaze of man. 

The greatest thing on earth is man, and the greatest 
thing in man is the soul ; but that is great only as it 
abides in God. 

We lean on a shadow when we lean on ourselves. 

We are born on the earth, but we live in the universe. 

We are often wounded, yet we have a Healer. We 
grieve, yet we have a Comforter. We are weary, but 
there is a resting-place. 

There is no night to the children of the day. 

We have short memories concerning God's goodness. 



FIRST YEARS IN THE MINISTRY. 1 35 

God has not promised two heavens — one above and 
one below, also. 

If we would not have affliction come twice, may we 
listen when it comes once. 

May we give earthly things a place by our hearts, but 
not in them. Our hearts belong only to God. 

With God caring for us we are strong to live ; with 
God supporting us we are strong to die. 

Our feet move toward those realms where there are 
neither days, months, nor years. 

Time's thread is shorter to-day. Little by little the 
longest day and the darkest goes by. 

The angel of good we have sought afar we find at our 
own door. 

Our pilgrimage on earth is but a journey to the house 
of God. 

A clouded face strikes deeper than an angry blow. 

In both the miracles of the fishers catching many, it- 
was after a night of disappointment. 

When Peter was self-confident, he fell ; when he was 
self-distrustful, he had the steadfastness of the martyr. 

Sin and a hedgehog are born alike without quills, but 
they come. 

Had Peter gone in, he would not have been tempted 
to deny Christ ; but he stayed out with bad associates. 

In the first false step lurks peril. 

It is the fashion nowadays for nobody to go to church 
till everybody has got there. 

Weigh Christians as well as count them. 

Christ's resting-place was between two angels ; so 



136 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

think of the dust of your beloved dead — between two 
angels. 

" I think his best work was done in the prayer-meet- 
ing," says a prominent member of his church in New 
Britain. He was very happy in leading this meeting. 
By a few words, familiarly spoken to the people, he 
encouraged others, and secured willing responses from 
some who would not otherwise have taken a part. His 
manner was attractive, his words helpful, always con- 
taining something for those who might be depressed or 
despondent. After the lapse of a score of years one 
speaks of " his heavenly inspirations, as he breathed 
out his soul in prayer, and his words of counsel which 
were so uplifting. It seems as if even now we hear the 
rich tones of his voice as he pleads at the throne of 
grace, and that we see his sunlit face beaming with joy 
as he speaks of the loving Saviour, and bids us walk in 
His steps." 

He well understood the advantage of a little judi- 
cious management beforehand, in order to make the 
prayer-meeting run more smoothly. Once, when the 
churches of New Britain held a series of union prayer- 
meetings, finding that they dragged somewhat, as 
such meetings are apt to do, because of the modesty or 
diffidence which led the brethren of the assembled 
churches to wait for one another, he removed the diffi- 
culty and saved the meetings from failure by address- 
ing notes to several persons, requesting them at speci- 
fied points in the meeting to lead in prayer or make 
brief remarks, suggesting the thought to be presented. 
This plan served admirably to thaw the spell of reserve 
by which speech and devotional sentiment were frozen 
into silence. That result accomplished, the meeting 



FIRST YEARS IN THE MINISTRY. 1 37 

was allowed, as was best, to take its own free course 
without further manipulation. His ready mind was 
fertile in expedients, and he was always quick to apply 
them in such emergencies. But it is not by such arts 
that a good prayer-meeting is made. Their use is but 
temporary and subordinate. Spirituality in the leader 
is the chief requisite. « 

" The minister of a parish," George MacDonald says, 
" must keep the upper windows of his mind open to 
the holy winds and the pure lights of heaven, and the 
side-windows of tone, of speech, of behavior, open to 
the earth, to let forth upon his fellow-men the tender- 
ness and truth which those upper influences bring 
forth." Dr. Goodell did that habitually, and it was the 
secret of his remarkable power in many ways. It made 
him successful as the leader of the prayer-meeting. He 
came to it charged with heavenly fire. It was apparent 
from his tones of voice and radiant face that he was in 
God's high sympathy, and he communicated that sym- 
pathy by what he said. It was evident also from his 
remarks, from the choice thought and language which 
entered into them, that he very carefully prepared them 
for his people. He did not think, as some do, that 
anything will serve for the prayer-meeting. Nothing 
would serve, in his opinion, but the best. He had as his 
reward, good prayer-meetings, well attended, and of 
manifest profit to all. Sometimes he seemed to fail. 

" I remember," says a Christian lady of New Britain, 
" he came in to one Friday evening prayer-meeting, his 
face shining as if he had come from the Mount of 
Transfiguration, and he told us of a beautiful walk he 
had just taken, and what he had seen. His heart was 
full to overflowing with a sense of God's goodness, and 
the beauty of the world we live in. His Scripture 



138 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

reading was, ' O that men would praise the Lord for 
His wonderful works' ! His hymns, his prayer, were 
on the same high plane. But we dragged him down. 
We had not been up on the Mount to meet the Sav- 
iour, and lie could not raise us up." 

His method of dealing with his church when cold 
and backward in their support of their pastor at the 
prayer-meeting is worth recording for its wisdom and 
effectiveness : " Some of us," says one of his deacons, 
" will never forget how on a certain time he briefly 
opened a church prayer-meeting, and then left the time 
to be occupied by others. After waiting a reasonable 
time without any response he calmly arose, and with 
an expression of deep disappointment, yet most affec- 
tionate tenderness, extended his hands and pronounced 
the benediction. The result was most salutary, and 
secured thereafter just what he had longed for." 

His people appreciated the zeal and devotion of their 
pastor to their spiritual welfare, and manifested their grat- 
itude by many substantial tokens. At a time when gifts 
to himself and family were quite frequent, one from a 
number of friends was accompanied with a request 
that no acknowledgment of it should be made. He ob- 
served the request by saying publicly : " My people 
insist on filling my cup brimful, and ask me to carry it 
so steadily that it shall not spill over." 

His labors were not confined to his own church and 
congregation. Such a man is like the Brewer fountain 
on Boston Common, — from the fullness of his heart he 
pours out streams of influence in every direction. He 
has a ready hand for the service of every good cause 
that summons him to its help. Mr. Goodell rendered 
valuable service to the city of New Britain as a mem- 
ber of its Public School Board. 



FIRST YEARS IN THE MINISTRY. 1 39 

One who was a member of the School Board with 
him, says : 

Not long after he came to New Britain he was made a mem- 
ber of the School Committee, of which I had been a member 
previously. Though more than a quarter of a century has 
passed since I first met him, I can truly say that I was drawn 
toward him from the very first. For several years we were as- 
sociated in the supervision of the schools, and I distinctly re- 
member how strong, uniform, and judicious his interest was in 
promoting the cause of education in the town. 

He not only attended and took an active part in the meetings 
of the Board, but he visited the schools as opportunity offered, 
and proved a sort of inspiration to teachers and pupils, and 
when he left our town we suffered a loss in the educational de- 
partment which has never since been made good. In all his 
work for the cause of education, as for religion, he possessed a 
"zeal that was according to knowledge," and so he proved a 
true friend and valuable helper. 

Dr. Goodell was one of those men, not so numerous as might 
be wished, whose cordial manner and greeting proved a sort of 
inspiration and benediction, and one could not be with him for 
five minutes without feeling better for the interview. Of him 
it might be truly said, it " was not all of life to live," but so to 
live that every good work might receive benefit and advance- 
ment from his kindly interest and cheerful co-operation ; and 
though we shall never again be cheered and stimulated by his 
friendly voice and wise counsels, the memory of what he was 
and of what he did will prove a sweet savor to multitudes who 
were blessed with his acquaintance. 

The moral and benevolent societies of New Britain 
found in him a valuable ally. He infused new life and 
efficiency into every work he took hold of. A local 
society for tract distribution and home evangelization, 
which had been in operation a few years before Mr. 
Goodell was settled in New Britain, received his ap- 
proval and warm support. At the monthly and annual 



140 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

meetings, his words of counsel and his timely sugges- 
tions were not only a great encouragement to the active 
workers, but instructed them in right methods and ma- 
terially advanced the work. 

He was still a young man when he was recognized 
as one of the wise men in the ministry of his denomi- 
nation, and he was often called on to give advice in 
questions of importance to the Church at large. He 
was, therefore, frequently invited to Ecclesiastical Coun- 
cils summoned to consider such questions. " It was 
my pleasure," says an intelligent officer of his church 
in New Britain, " to be often associated with him in 
these duties outside of his parish, and to see the regard 
had for his judgment and opinion by others in the 
ministry. He was a member of the council called to 
organize the First Congregational Church in Washing- 
ton, D. C, and I well remember his care and desire 
during the days of preliminary inquiry, to obtain all 
the facts, and to know just the basis upon which the 
enterprise was to be founded, and what would be its 
environment and outlook." 

After what has been said, the fact stated by Professor 
Camp, that during the first five years of Mr. Goodell's 
pastorate in New Britain the additions to the church 
did not exceed its losses by death and dismission, will 
not lead any to suppose that the church's power and 
efficiency remained at a standstill all the while. It 
was rapidly developing all the elements of power. 
There was more consecration to God's service, as 
evinced by the increased contributions to objects of 
benevolence ; there was greater readiness to co-operate 
with the pastor ; the zeal which burned in his heart 
was gradually communicating its glow to theirs ; their 
religious affections and their mind to work for God . 



FIRST YEARS IN THE MINISTRY. 141 

were quickened by his exhortations and example ; they 
were getting ready to do a great work. He infused 
life into the prayer-meeting, brought backsliders back 
to their duty, and united the church more closely in its 
active benevolent work. There were several cases of 
discipline, unpleasant to consider, but necessary to the 
purity of the church, which were disposed of during 
the second year of his pastorate. Then followed the 
war period, with its excitements and distractions, dur- 
ing which many active young men of the church and 
congregation were absent in the army. 

A letter from his father-in-law, announcing his inten- 
tion to send him a horse and carriage, elicits from him 
the following reply : 

New Britain, April 28, 1863. 

To Hon. Erastus Fairbanks — My dear Friend ': Your 
valuable letter would have received an earlier answer 
had I not been especially engaged in parish duties. That 
brief clause at the close of it, indicating your purpose to 
send a horse and carriage, gave us perhaps equal sur- 
prise and pleasure. I read it at the tea-table, and it 
made a very happy evening for us. We discussed horses 
and carriages and barns and hay and grain and cut-feed 
and blue overalls and whips and different drives till we 
fell asleep. We thanked our Heavenly Father that night 
with grateful and overflowing hearts for giving us so 
generous and kind and thoughtful friends. We resolved 
to live in a manner more worthy of the blessings so 
bountifully bestowed upon us. Every day since, E. has 
been driving in imagination. I verily believe she has 
grown heavier in thinking of it, and that it will do her 
great good I cannot doubt. We are sincerely grateful 
for this fresh evidence of your affectionate interest in 
her welfare, and I pray that God may reward you gen- 
erously by adding to your happiness in the same degree 



142 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

that you have increased ours. The spring is opening 
very delightfully. It will be early after all. We hope 
to have you with us soon. The time begins to seem 
long since you were here. E. joins me in love to your- 
self and household. 

Yours affectionately, C. L. Goodell. 

To his wife, while absent on a visit to her family 
friends in St. J ohnsbury, the following letter was written. 
"M." and " S." referred to were his brother-in-law, Mr. 
Stone, at that time seriously ill, and his wife, Mrs. 
Goodell's sister: 

New Britain, Conn., May 2, 1864. 

My dearest E. : — I have just come from dinner, and it 
is all still and lonesome — not lonesome, however, in the 
sense that I am sorry you went, or that I desire you 
to return before the full time. Five years ago to-day I 
was making ready rapidly to start for St. Johnsbury for 
you. It was just such a beautiful spring morning as 
this. Five happy years ! . . . . Your letter yesterday 
brought me bad news from M. I am sorry to learn he 
is not so well. Poor man ! I pray it may speedily turn 
well with him. He must have courage. It will not do 
for a strong man to lose heart. Read to him James, 5th 
chapter, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15 verses, and have Mr. C, if your 
father is gone, pray in faith with him. Do not allow 
him to despond or distrust the power of God, and the 
goodness of His providence. Give my sympathy, kind 
and true, to S. Tell her I feel deeply for her, but the 
Lord is good. 

He writes: 

New Britain, Conn., July 13, 1864. 

Hon. E. Fairbanks — My dear Frie?id : I thank you 
for the catalogue of your church in St. Johnsbury which 
you sent. I have examined it with much interest. I 



FIRST YEARS IN THE MINISTRY. 1 43 

am struck with the steady prosperity and growth of the 
church. It is a vine, manifestly of God's own planting, 
and He has watered it yearly with the dews of His 
grace. It seems to have had no single period of fruit- 
lessness and decline, if the barrenness of our churches 
for the few past years is not such. This must be very 

gratifying to you as you look back over the past 

Emily seems quite well now, and is enjoying a great 
deal every day in her drives about the country. We 
hoped we should have the pleasure of seeing you here 
again before our vacation. The time is very short be- 
fore our release, and we look forward to it with great 
pleasure. The country is filled with alarm — needless, 
I hope — on account of the invasion ; but we greatly 
need the Divine aid to give firmness and purity of heart 
and purpose, and united counsels and the spirit of self- 
sacrifice. E. desires to be affectionately remembered. 
Thank Mrs. Fairbanks very particularly for sending the 
" North Star." It is a great light in my path, but it has 
been burning so long it needs snuffing ! Compared with 
our Connecticut copperheadism it is very respectable. 
Very truly yours, C. L. Goodell. 

Before the close of the war a marked increase in re- 
ligious interest appeared. This deepened when the end 
of the war allowed a repose of mind more favorable to 
religious impression. 

There was also a growth of spirituality in the pastor. 
The following petitions, with date and place prefixed, 
are copied from a leaf of his note-book. They reveal 
the hidden desires and endeavors of his soul : 

New Britain, June, 1864. 
1. O Lord, help me never to speak of one person to 
another, save in respect to his virtues. 



144 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

2. O Lord, grant that my thoughts may be less wan- 
dering in private prayer. 

3. O Lord, enable me to read the Bible more with 
reference to my own personal wants, instead of as a 
text-book. 

4. O Lord, help me to rise at five o'clock, and to work 
diligently and consecutively on one theme till one. 

5. O Lord, may I be simple and plain and exactly 
truthful in all my words and manners and habits of 
thought, and in my style of writing. 

After these things will I earnestly seek. Aid me, my 
precious Saviour. 

O, Mighty King, Everlasting Light and Holy Love, 
Thou art fairer than the children of men. Thy light 
doth scatter all the shadows and bring the day to even' 
soul that trusts Thee. Thou wilt take us where we need 
no star to guide, where the clouds no glory hide. Let 
the song we sing to Thee be an everlasting song. Thou 
didst give to us in our poverty till Thou couldst give no 
more. Thou didst suffer for us rather than condemn us. 
We touch the hem of Thy garment as Thou passest by 
in glory ; our blackness cannot soil Thy white. Through 
Thee our lives flow in deeper currents. Thou dost fill 
the cup of our being fuller. Thy peace flows in upon 
the heart with a deep, eternal tide. Thy promises light 
up the night of tears. We give Thee glory and honor 
evermore, for Thou art worthy to receive dominion and 
riches and blessing world without end. 



VIII. 

A WIDENING HORIZON 
1865— 1867. 



Children run to lisp their sire's return, 

Or climb his knees, the envied kiss to share." 

—Gray. 



" Therefore, friends, 
As tar as to the sepulchre of Christ. 
.... in those holy fields 
Over whose acres walked those blessed feet, 
Which, eighteen hundred years ago, were nailed, 
For our advantage, on the bitter cross." 

--Shakespeare. 



I 



CHAPTER VIII. 

VISIT TO THE SOUTH — HOME LIFE— NEW CHURCH 
EDIFICE IN NEW BRITAIN — TRIP ABROAD — 
LETTERS. 

In the fall of 1865 Mr. Goodell made an extensive 
trip through the Southern States. His journey cov- 
ered a period of about seven weeks, and in it he entered 
every State in the South, except Florida and Texas, 
visiting Washington, D. C, and the principal cities, and 
the most memorable places of the war of the Rebellion, 
which had then just closed. The vast wreck and ruin 
wrought by the war were everywhere visible. His quick, 
searching glance noted it all, and he saw the difficult 
factors which entered into the problem of Reconstruc- 
tion, then engaging the attention of the Government. 
In his journey he visited St. Louis, and called upon 
Mr. Stephen Edgell and his family, and met other 
people of the future Pilgrim Church, not then organ- 
ized. The part of the city where Pilgrim Church 
stands, and its members now live, was then in the out- 
skirts of St. Louis. There were but few residences in 
it at that time, but it was beginning to be settled, and 
the stream of population was fast setting in. 

On his return to his people in New Britain, Dr. 
Goodell embodied his observations of travel in a lecture 
of great interest. Refreshed by his journey, he entered 
upon the work of the fall and winter with great earnest- 
ness. In a short time a deep religious interest ap- 
peared. 

(147) 



148 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

" Before the close of 1865," says Prof. Camp, " this 
interest resulted in considerable additions to the church. 
In 1866 the work was more general in the Sunday- 
school, and forty-six united with the church on con- 
fession of faith, and thirty-seven by letter." He was 
one whose ardor seemed to increase with success. In- 
stead of relaxing his efforts or abating his desires on 
account of what had been achieved, content to rest 
upon the results accomplished, he pushed forward with 
unabated zeal and energy in the endeavor to win still 
greater trophies. Like Francis Xavier, the devout 
Catholic missionary, he prayed with unsatisfied long- 
ing, " Still more, O Lord, still more." 

During the summer vacation of 1866, he visited St. 
Johnsbury, and there, " On the Hill," made the first, 
of which there is any record, of those memorable cov- 
enants with God, in which, as we shall see, from time 
to time, he consecrated himself anew to God's service, 
and implored in turn fresh gifts of divine grace and 
power, that he might more efficiently perform the work 
of the ministry " to testify the Gospel of the grace of 
God." 

Excepting the time taken for the two journeys 
abroad, made while a pastor at New Britain, for the 
sake of needed rest and recreation, the remaining years 
of his pastorate there were passed in almost incessant 
labors. But they were very happy years. He was 
happy in the growing success of his ministerial work, 
and in the conscious joy of his ripening religious ex- 
perience. He was exceedingly happy, also, in his - home 
life. Those were the years of the early childhood of 
his children. Their childish ways and doings, their 
droll sayings, their playful spirit, their riotous fun, and 
their rollicking mischief, as well as their ready faith and 



HOME LIFE. 149 

religious sensibility, were inexpressibly charming to 
him. The occasional references, in his letters to his 
wife while he was abroad, to " the dear little boy " at 
home, give us a hint of his fatherly affection for his 
children. This was one of his most amiable traits, and 
in his love for his children he displayed the finest quali- 
ties of his nature. He delighted to walk hand in hand 
with them in their childhood, and in his note-book 
speaks with apparent sadness of that advancement in 
years which made them disinclined to take his hand, 
and robbed him of the sense of sweet companionship 
and confidence which the little hand clasped in his once 
gave him. Two children were given to him — a son and 
a daughter — both of them born in New Britain ; the 
son, Oliver Fairbanks, born April 20, 1865 ; the daughter, 
Laura, born April 7, 1869. To have had and known 
such a father is to them a joy of memory and a per- 
petual inspiration. 

No man ever loved his home better. It was the 
•dearest spot on earth to him. When absent from it, 
even for a very brief time, he was wont to send love 
messages to those left behind, to relieve and brighten 
their loneliness. The following letter to his wife is an 
example. He had left her only a few hours before, for 
an absence of two or three days, on an " exchange ": 

Springfield, Mass., November %, 1866. 

My dear Emily : — I am safely in S., and have a good, 
warm room for the night ;. and now the very first thing 
I do after coming down from my room where I have left 
my baggage, is to write to you, who have my heart and 
my first thoughts, whether present or absent. I am in 
the reading-room. There is a splendid fire in the grate, 
.and I can hear the clatter of knives and forks and tea- 



150 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

things in the dining-hall, and the smell of oysters comes 

in very savory Offer Mr. S. some cake and an 

apple Sunday night after meeting. Treat him well. 
He was very tired, and kindly came to accommodate 

me when he did not feel really able Give the 

usual notices. Ask Mr. W. to lead the prayer-meeting 
Friday evening. Select the hymns for Mr. P., putting a 
kind of benediction for the close. If you can think of 
the hymn Mr. P. spoke of, put it first in the morning. 
.... My heart is with you. I did not want to leave you 
to-night a bit. Your tea was excellent. Pray to our 
dear Saviour through whose gracious care we enjoy all 
things How many times have we been here to- 
gether ! It is a dear place for memories of my loved 
bride. I thank the Lord for you. You fill my heart, 
and are all my inmost soul craves. 

Devotedly yours, C. 

At the same time, with the great improvement in 
the spiritual condition and numerical strength of the 
church achieved by Mr. Goodell's ministerial labors, 
there was another work of great magnitude and import- 
ance to its welfare going forward. This was the erec- 
tion of a new and costly house of worship — the spacious 
and beautiful stone edifice now occupied by the South 
Church, New Britain. 

It was commenced in April, 1865, and was nearly 
three years in building, being dedicated January 16, 1S6S. 
Its cost was $140,000; its audience-room seats about 
eight hundred people. It was not commenced any too 
soon. In fact, before it was finished and ready for 
occupancy, the old church which preceded it, and had 
stood on the same site, but had been removed a short 
distance to make room for the present house, was much 
too strait and crowded for the congregation. 



NEW CHURCH. I 5 I 

In the erection of the new church the pastor had 
only a silent, inconspicuous part. By his popularity and 
efficiency in building up the church and congregation, 
he had made such an undertaking a veritable necessity; 
he was also known to be heartily in favor of the move- 
ment, and indirectly exerted a powerful influence over 
the people in securing it ; but seeing that an apprecia- 
tive people had a mind to rise up and build, he was 
only too glad, somewhat quietly, to watch the progress 
of the enterprise, without being recognized as especially 
prominent in pushing the matter through. 

Those who knew him well will recognize in this con- 
cealment of himself behind others, one of his marked 
characteristics. If the good work which he had at 
heart could only go forward, he preferred to remain in 
the background and let others appear as the chief 
actors. He delighted in developing and using for the 
advancement of God's kingdom the efficient powers of 
other men. If he could accomplish some desirable end, 
in whole or in part, by the help of his brethren, he 
preferred to do so, rather than take all the work, and 
its glory, upon himself. 

In 1 86/, while the church was building, he made his 
first trip abroad. He went alone; Mrs. Goodell, his 
companion in his subsequent travels abroad, not being 
able to accompany him this time on account of their 
little son, then but two years old. He visited while 
abroad, Palestine, Egypt, Constantinople, the Danube, 
Germany, France, Switzerland, and Great Britain. 

While absent his church was left in the ministerial 
charge of Rev. Jonathan Brace, D.D., of Hartford, 
Connecticut. His absence was for about five months. 
He sailed from New York in the steamer Baltic June 
15th. He had for a travelling companion Rev. J. L, 



152 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Dudley, of Middletown, Conn. The following letters, 

and extracts from letters, afford interesting glimpses 

of him by the way, and of some places and things he 

saw. 

Edinburgh, Scotland, July n, 1867. 

My dear Wife : — Your letters have been of unspeak- 
able comfort to me. Yesterday I took the last one from 
the office, and went up and sat down in the delightful 
shades of Calton Hill, the city at my feet, its hum in my 
ears, the atmosphere golden and misty, and there lived 
a long hour in that letter and in thoughts of home. It 

was a very happy hour Your plan of keeping a 

little diary pleases me very much. My letters will be 
fewer and shorter than I could wish, for I get so weary, 
and so want to use every moment of the time, that I find 
it very hard to write even to you, but I shall keep you 
constantly informed. The last thing almost which Frank 
said, was to express the difficulty he found in writing 
letters. How often I have thought of it. And yet, dear 
one, I do not forget you, nor one of your kind words, 
and noble, womanly deeds ; and hope to be with you 
ever, if I shall find you there on my return. The dear 
little boy, how I long to see him too. Wouldn't he run 
to papa if I should come home ? Soon I shall be there. 
.... In Holyrood Palace here I visited Queen Mary's 
rooms, and Lord Darnley's, and found the only por- 
trait of Mary Queen of Scots which gave me any ade- 
quate conception of her beauty — a photograph from 
which I send you. 

The country blossoms in the rosy beauty of summer, 
and our days are filled with ever fresh delights and the 
novelties of travel. We have not missed a connection, 
nor found a poor hotel. These are grand scenes to visit ; 
but in writing I am overpowered, not knowing where to 
begin or what to omit. 

Yours affectionately, C. 



LETTERS FROM ABROAD. 1 53 

Charing Cross Hotel, London, July 29, 1867. 

My dear Wife : — It is now Monday morning, and after 
a stay of eleven days in this, the greatest and richest 
city in the world, I am packing up, and to-morrow night 
I shall be in Paris. I have had a delightful time here. 
I begin to feel quite at home. I can go anywhere as well 
as in New York. 

Yesterday morning (Sunday) we went to hear Baptist 
Noel, and found him gone. Rev. Newman Hall was 
also gone. Then we went to Crown Court and heard 
Dr. Cumming. It was communion Sabbath, and I re- 
mained. It was very precious to be there. Afternoon 
we attended service in the old Westminster Abbey, and 
heard the glorious singing ring through the arches and 
echo down the long-drawn aisles. The building has 
stood for eight hundred years. All the monarchs of 
England for six centuries have been crowned there. 
There the illustrious dead of England lie sleeping — kings 
and queens, poets and orators, and many of the greatest 
of earth. Dean Stanley, the author of the book we liked 
so much, " The History of the Jewish Church," preaches 
there. I thought of you and of home while I sat in that 
grand old church, and perhaps there was moisture in 
my eye Last evening I heard Spurgeon. I en- 
joyed him very much. There must have been nearly eight 
thousand in the house. Every inch of standing room 
was taken. Look at that picture in my study of the 
interior of his Tabernacle and the thronging thousands. 
That is an excellent likeness, only you don't hear the 
singing. When they all stand up and pour forth, it is 
like the voice of many waters, and you feel the King is 
come in His glory. The preacher's voice reaches every 
ear, and not a word or syllable is lost ; he does not 
scream either — it sounds perfectly natural and easy 
Such a voice ! Then his fluency j he never halts or trips. 
Every eye is on him. He stands right up and goes right on, 

7* 



154 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

and all is as natural as a leaf on a tree. It was a treat to 

be present at the communion in the room below 

Yours ever and ever, C. 

Paris, August 4, 1867. 

My dear Wife : — Five days I have been in this beau- 
tiful city of Paris, the city of your early love. I have 
thought of you at every turn, and been reminded of so 
much you have told me. I have visited the objects of 
interest in and about the city very generally, and seen 
the show and taste and fashion of this gay and brilliant 
metropolis. Never was greater contrast than between 
this and London. Those who have not been here for 
fifteen years, it is said, would hardly know the place, it 
is changed so much for the better by the opening of new 
and grand boulevards in all quarters. I have a good 
hotel, and find several acquaintances. Mr. Douglass, of 
Middletown, stopping in the city, gave a dinner to quite 
a number of Americans, and we had a fine time. I have 
been to the Great Exposition two days. It is the world's 
wonder. Men of all climes and nations are there, re- 
taining their peculiar dress and customs, and bringing 
their products with them. You feel the world is broad 
and its wisdom manifold. We have not got it all in New 
England. This morning I have been in my room read- 
ing, resting, thinking of my loved home and of the 
goodness of God. I took out the little box of needles 
and thread, etc., you put in for me, and sewed on two 
buttons ! It was the first time I had opened the box, 
and how it moved me to see your forethought and care ! 

A good wife is from the Lord I shall go to 

Geneva this week and see your brother Charles. I an- 
ticipate it very much. 

Please write me how far they have got on with the 
church. Your full and thoughtful letters do me a world 
of good. I hope you will keep in health and heart ; it 



LETTERS FROM ABROAD. I 55 

will not be long. Kiss the little boy for his papa. I 
enclose a picture containing the home, church, and grave 
of the Dairyman's Daughter, also the same of " Sister 
Jane." O the beautiful Isle of Wight ! 

Affectionately yours, C. 

Geneva, August 12, 1867. 

My dear Wife : — The beautiful city of Geneva dawned 
upon my vision on Thursday morning, after an all-night's 
ride from Paris, and I have spent three days and a half 
here with the greatest pleasure. I found your brother 
the first day, and have had a delightful visit with him 
and his family. They were well, as usual, and in capital 
spirits, and seemed to enjoy the visit themselves, and 
everything has passed off finely. The only thing want- 
ing was your dear presence, and we did so much long 
for you. 

Friday we drove all about the city and environs, and 
visited many places of historic interest. In the evening, 
Walter and I went out on the lake in a little boat. Sat- 
urday he went with us on the steamer through the lake 
and back, and had a delightful time. We visited the old 
Castle of Chillon, and the vaults below, where the pris- 
oners were chained. Walter was very happy, and told 
his mother that Uncle Goodell was a splendid man ! 

Now it is Monday morning, and I am off for Cha- 
mouny, fifty-four miles by diligence. It is a gloriously 
clear day, and our way is among the finest Alpine 
scenery. 

An affectionate adieu, C. 

Interlachen, Switzerland, August 18, 1867. 
My beloved Wife : — I have the full purpose now to 
write a good long letter from my heart, and hold de- 
lightful communion with one who comes into my thought 
every hour of the day. Last week I only wrote briefly 



150 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

with the pencil. Now the Sabbath morning has dawned, 
and there is no service until 12. 

There is a pleasant sense of quiet and repose in this 
mountain retreat. Your letter of July 25th, acknowledg- 
ing mine from Edinboro' and Leamington, came to me 
here, and I am glad that you have so good news of your- 
self and Oliver to write. Little fellow ! how I love him ! 
It pleases me to hear of his little ways and sayings. 
How much this trip is costing me in the things I love 
most. Pleasant as it is, it takes me away from you and 
home, from all drives and walks and friends and happy 
hours and scenes and labors I should enjoy so much. 
It is a great sacrifice for you ; it has its self-denials for 
me. Many think travel is all one holiday ; it is solid, 
earnest, laborious work with me. I enjoy it exceedingly. 
It is even more profitable than I thought it would be. 
But there is toil in it, and great weariness to the flesh. 
The last week has been full of wonder and delight. I 
have spent it among the glorious mountains of Switzer- 
land, and have often thought of our White Mountain 
excursions. They are thrilling, and sometimes terrific. 
I rode up the valley of the Arve to Chamouny, and as- 
cended to the Glacier de Bois and crossed the Mer de 
Glace. In going into Crystal Grotto, a deep cavern in 
the solid ice, under a glacier, a stone, liberated by the 
melting ice, came down at a distance from above, and 
hit one of our party (Mr. P., of the Cape of Good Hope, 
South Africa, an Englishman and a fine fellow,) on the 
back of his head. The stone was as large as my two 
fists. He threw up his hands, uttered a wild cry, and 
fell to the ground. It cut a deep gash and the blood 
streamed out, and I thought it would prove fatal. But 
we cut the hair away, poured on cold water till the 
blood ceased, and got him to the hotel, and to our great 
joy found him fast recovering. Now he and his friend 
T. are travelling with us. Do you not suppose I thanked 



LETTERS FROM ABROAD. 1 5/ 

the Lord that night ? We went over on muleback from 
Chamouny to Martigny, twenty-four miles, and over the 
Gemmi Pass to Interlachen. The Gemmi Pass is the 
most startling feature of the Alps I have seen. When 
my mule turned some corners, he would persist in walk- 
ing on the very outer edge, and I could see thousands 
of feet perpendicularly below me, and often the path 
would be on a cliff overhanging the path below. I have 
enjoyed very much this wild, grand scenery, but I am 
done with all the climbing and all the danger now, and 
I shall leave soon for the Rhine country, and there find 
things as flat and tame as they are abrupt and precipit- 
ous here I am very glad our people like Dr. Brace 

so well. Please give my kind regards to him, and assure 
him of the gratitude I feel for the interest he takes in 
our church. How fast does the church spire rise ? I 

take great interest in all the particulars you write 

Ever yours, C. 

Berlin, Prussia, August 24, 1867. 
My beloved Wife : — When I reached Berlin, Satur- 
day, I felt that I ought certainly to go to New Britain 
and spend the Sabbath. But alas ! there was no train 
up ; so here I have been all day. I have enjoyed it very 
much. This morning at ten I went to the Cathedral 
and worshipped with the king, he alone being in the 
royal pew. The chanting by the Mendelssohn choir was 
grand. Rev. Dr. Hoffman, the famous court preacher 
of Prussia, gave a most eloquent sermon. This is the 
great Protestant Cathedral where Theremin and Tho- 
luck and others have preached before the king, and 
filled the country with their fame. After that I attended 
the English Episcopal. I felt grateful and worshipful. 
Last week was a finer one, if possible, than that among 
the Alps. Monday to Berne and to Freiburg, where I 
heard the great organ. The organist played that won- 



158 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

derful piece, "The Storm in the Mountains." Then to 
Basle and Strasbourg. Friday I went down the Rhine 
by steamer 127 miles to Cologne. This was a royal day. 
The beauty of the Rhine has not been over-praised. 
Its terraced vineyards and castle-crowned hills, its 
lovely villages and graceful curves, all unite to form 
one of the most beautiful landscapes of earth. But all 
day long I was repeating to myself the lines of Byron, 

" Yet one thing wants the banks of Rhine, 
Thy gentle hand to clasp in mine." 

I reached Cologne in time to visit the Cathedral and 
some paintings of Rubens. The Cathedral is. a marvel. 
I have admired Westminster Abbey, and Notre Dame, 
and Strasbourg, but they are not even the shadow of 
this. It is a wild, sweet dream of beauty in stone. I 
went to Farina's, the original Cologne-water firm, and 
got a bottle at the fountain-head. But they need a river 
of Cologne water in every street to drown the ill smells. 
Saturday I came here, a ride of 400 miles, in fourteen 
hours. This is a brilliant and beautiful city, the seat of 
learning and art, picture galleries and libraries. Next 
I shall go to Dresden, which has some of the finest paint- 
ings in the world. Thence to Prague and Vienna, from 
which place I shall sail for Constantinople. I am well 
and more vigorous than when I left home. Everything 
goes like the unwinding of a golden thread We speak 
all languages but the English, and are making some 
progress in that. It is a comfort that I see the same 
sun every day, and the same stars every night, which 
you look upon ; thus we meet every day in the heavens. 
Affectionately yours, C. 

Pesth, Austria, September 1, 1867. 
My dear Wife : — Do not think that because I write 
from this far-off land, the capital of Hungary, I am in 



LETTERS FROM ABROAD. I 59 

a half-civilized country. I have found no finer hotel 
than this Kathol Koginigg, at which I am stopping. 
The city is rich, and beautiful as Boston, and the people 
are dressed with great taste and elegance. The fabrics 
are rich ; silks and laces and precious stones. The 
cooking is equally marked in excellence. Such coffee I 
never drank in America, and the beefsteak fairly melts 
in your mouth ; while the soft, velvety look and taste of 
the bread is inimitable. Mr. D. took up a small loaf of 
the bread, white as snow, and rich and delicate in flavor, 
and said : " There, if Mabel could see that, and know 
how to make it, I would give fifty pounds ! " 

How I wish you could dine with us this evening, at 
six ! The table will be on a terrace in the open court of 
the hotel, 'mid the fragrance of oleander blossoms and 
other flowering shrubs, with the blue sky above, and the 
plashing of the fountain below. After dinner we would 
go out on the banks of the Danube, which is silvering 
past my windows now, and crossing the gossamer sus- 
pension bridge, stroll in the grounds of the royal 
palace, which frowns down in sombre stateliness from a 
high, fortressed summit on the other side. I would give 
you such fruit, too, as you never saw. Melons and 
grapes, white and luscious ; and pears and peaches and 
apples and plums are found in stalls at every turn. 
Women bring huge baskets of them to the car windows 
to be sold for a song. This country is very level and 
beautiful and highly cultivated ; and now in the harvest 
of the year, it is a constant joy to look upon the bounty 
of the land as it is garnered, and to see the people 
abroad in the fields. In Dresden I found the finest 
picture-gallery, so called, save one, in the world. Ra- 
phael's " Madonna," Correggio's " St. Magdalen," Carlo 
Dolce's " St. Cecelia," Guido's " Christ with the Crown 
•of Thorns," and many other of the masterpieces. How 
I did drink them in ! I enjoyed the Louvre at Paris ; I 



l6o THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

ran over at Dresden. The gallery at Berlin pleased me ; 
this at Dresden filled me full. I know now what they 
mean when they say, " If you would see paintings, go to 
Dresden.'' The one in Vienna did not fall greatly below 
it. That also was full of the works of the masters ; and 
the building called the Belvedere, in which it was found, 
is exceedingly fine in architectural effect. As to Euro- 
pean cities, for beauty I put Paris first and Vienna 
second. Our visit there was very pleasant. The weather 
was fine, our hotel was a comfort, and the various ob- 
jects of interest passed before us like the turning of a 
kaleidoscope. It is thus the time is passing, and we 
number the cities strung on our thread of travel, like a 
woman counting off her beads in prayer. Just half the 
time is up, and I am at the middle point of my pilgrim- 
age. I saw the glorious summer which has brought so 
much to me, die last eve on the golden fields of Hun- 
gary. It was singular in being the last hour of the day, 
of the week, of the month, of the season. It is my 
hope to see this autumn go out into winter with you to 
join me in the requiem. God's blessings to us both 
have been very marked, and I desire to pause here, and 
rear a memorial to Him for His care. Let us put our 
trust in Him, nothing doubting. 

Your letter of August 9, received at Vienna, was bet- 
ter than any other thing there ; and the picture of dear 
little Oliver brought me a world of comfort. How he 
has changed ! I should hardly know him. It is a pre- 
cious little face. How I do long to see mother and child ! 
It will be a happy day when we meet. God bless and 
keep you both. 

Ever affectionately yours, C. 

Constantinople, September 8, 1867. 
My beloved Wife : — " My soul shall be joyful in the 
Lord, and rejoice in His salvation." This I have just 



LETTERS FROM ABROAD. l6l 

read this pleasant Sabbath morning in your little book 
of Psalms, as I have come to my room after breakfast, 
and my soul responds to it. I feel all the avenues of my 
spiritual being joyful in the Lord. I hope my love and 
trust may be pleasing to Him, impure and imperfect as 
they are. My journey here was full of wild and pictur- 
esque interest, and in every way successful. 

From the Black Sea down the Bosphorus to this city, 
including sea and shore, and dwellings lining them, and 
old castles and vine-clad hills and palaces and frowning 
forts, and hundreds of sails and steamers, — the scene 
was the finest I ever beheld. As our steamer swept 
down to this city with its minarets glittering in the 
autumn sun, it seemed enchantment itself ; and I could 
half believe we had come to the fabled Orient. We 
found a good hotel, and have had a fine dip into this 
Eastern city life. We have visited the famous bazaars, 
the Mosque of St. Sophia, which is the old church Jus- 
tinian built ; the Mosque of Achmed, the towers and 
fountains and places of interest generally. We have 
been to the palace of the Sultan, and walked through 
the " Sublime Porte " guarded by fifty porters. We 
have found some of our missionary friends, and this 
morning I am going to hear Dr. Herrick preach to the 
Mussulmans. He does not know I am here, and will 
be so surprised to see me in the audience. This is 
a wonderful city. Everything is new and strange : 
dress and houses and language and religion and customs 
and all. It keeps me in a state of bewilderment. Mix up 
all the new and strange things in all the East, and pour 
them out on the most beautiful spot of earth, and that 
would be Constantinople. I cannot speak of particulars 
now, yet I must mention one thing : the streets of Con- 
stantinople are full of dogs without owners. They run 
everywhere, and lie about in all places. You cannot 
walk ten feet without stepping on a big, savage dog> 



1 62 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

unless you mind and step aside. At night there is con- 
stant yelping and uproar among them. "Without are 
dogs." But it is not common for them to bite, and you 
soon come to have no fear. 

Evening. I went in, and when Dr. Herrick saw me, 
he started and almost left his place to come and greet 
me ; then he bethought himself and went on with the 
service. He had a pleasant audience of Turks, and held 
their attention completely. He is doing a fine work. 
He has invited us to his house Monday night. He lives 
on Princess Island in the Marmora. I went this after- 
noon and heard Dr. Washburn (an old seminary friend) 
preach in English. Tuesday night I spend with him 
upon the shores of the Bosphorus, where Dr. Hamlin 
and Dr. Schaufrler live. 

The vintage and all things promise well. I shall not 
get letters from you now till I reach Alexandria, then 
they will come all in a lump — sweet and good. I have 
precious thoughts of you and deep longings for my 
work. When I reach home, I feel I shall do more than 
ever before. These godless countries fire me with desire 
to live and labor and pray for the kingdom of our Lord. 
Do not grow weary of waiting. Take no anxious 
thought for my welfare. Let us together trust in the 
Lord. 

Affectionately, Your Husband. 

P.S. I enclose a sprig of dark cypress, which abounds 
here, and is so beautiful. It is from the seraglio of the 
late Sultan. Also a photograph of the picture-gallery 
in Dresden, I wrote you of. 

Beirut, Syria, Sept. 18, 1867. 

My beloved Wife : — I do not know where to begin to 

describe the world of interest I have seen since I wrote 

you last on the steamer. Our boat stopped at Smyrna 

two days. The first day we took the train and rode out 



LETTERS FROM ABROAD. I 63 

to Ephesus, a distance of forty-eight miles. This was an 
unexpected pleasure. More interest, as you know, cen- 
tres about this church than about any of the seven 
churches of Asia. Here Paul labored for three years, 
and very many incidents are related in the Acts concern- 
ing this city and church. Here the books were burned, 
and Demetrius stirred up that great uproar about the 
shrines, etc., etc. And then it was to this church Paul 
wrote that matchless epistle. The place where the city 
was is now a complete desolation — not a house within a 
mile. All is a vast ruin, and flocks and herds graze 
there. We found the ruins of the theatre and the sta- 
dium, and many other points of interest. The marble 
columns and the beautiful capitals, with the acanthus 
leaf and other ornamentations, are as perfect as if cut 
yesterday. I sat down in the silence and read the Epis- 
tle to the Ephesians, and the portions of the Acts per- 
taining to St. Paul's work there for three years, and 
brought before me as vividly as life the scenes of 1,800 
years ago. We rode back to Smyrna by moonlight, one 
of the most clear and brilliant evenings I ever saw. Not 
one of us spoke ou our homeward ride, our thoughts 
were too busy, our hearts too full. The next day we 
went all about Smyrna, another of the seven churches. 
We visited the old city where the church was, and saw 
the grave of the martyred Polycarp, the friend of the 
Apostle John. We visited also the new town, and saw 
many new and strange things of this famous city of 
silks and figs. Leaving Smyrna, we sailed past Myte- 
lene, stopping at the port where Paul stopped, and 
passed the beautiful islands of Scio and Samos. At 2 
o'clock Sunday morning we swept down past the island 
of Patmos, sleeping quietly in the sea, and transfigured 
in the moonlight. I thought of John, and of the words 
God gave him there, and of all the wonder and glory of 
his vision as he was taken in spirit into communion with 



164 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Christ, and saw the New Jerusalem descend from God 
out of Heaven. In the balm of the early Sabbath morn 
I read chapter after chapter of Revelation, and when I 
reached the last two, " And I saw a pure river of water 
of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of 
God and the Lamb," I felt I was nearer that Land and 
River than ever before. Our run to Beirut was delight- 
ful ; the sea smooth, the winds hushed, only a little 
breeze for comfort. The days are perfectly bright and 
cloudless ; no haze, no mist, not even a little cloudlet 
day after day. The nights are almost as light as day, 
and the sea is a sheet of silver. The heavens above us 
glitter in crystalline beauty. The brilliance of these 
oriental skies is no fable. We stop here long enough to 
go to Mt. Lebanon, and visit the missionaries and ob- 
jects of interest, and then proceed to Joppa. How much 
I think of home. How I should like to watch the prog- 
ress of the church, stone by stone. I long also for my 
work. It will be good to get back to my people again. 
Kiss the little boy, and know that you are ever folded 
in my heart. 

Most affectionately yours, C. 

Austrian Steamer, Sept, 18, 1867. 
My dear Wife : — It is now evening, and I am just ap- 
proaching the old seaport of Joppa, intending to sleep 
on board to-night and land in the morning at the place 
where Jonah embarked. From Joppa it is only twelve 
hours to Jerusalem, and as our good fortune is, we have 
become acquainted on the voyage with a Christian gen- 
tleman, once a Jew, who lives in Jerusalem and keeps a 
Protestant book store. He speaks Hebrew and Turkish 
and Arabic, and is going home to his family, and will 
take us along with him and make it all as smooth as 
riding from Berlin up to New Britain on a donkey. In 
a hundred such ways we have been favored. We have 






LETTERS FROM ABROAD. 1 65 

also an English gentleman with us from Constantinople, 
who speaks all these Eastern languages. He went with 
us to Ephesus and Rhodes and Beirut, and interpreted 
everything, and helped us in a thousand things we could 
not have understood otherwise. Since writing you last, 
our journey has been one of increasing interest, with 
nothing to mar its enjoyment. Beirut is delightfully 
situated, and the external appearance is fine. Be- 
hind it is the noble Lebanon range, casting morning 
shadows far out to sea, and at evening mantled with 
purple and gold. On the slopes of the mountain back 
of the city are olive and mulberry groves and vine- 
yards, and pomegranate and apricot and palm trees in 
abundance. In the city I visited bazaars and silk facto- 
ries. I called on Dr. Thompson, author of " The Land 
and the Book," and Dr. Jessup, but they were both away. 
I went over the college and ladies' seminary and the 
mission houses, conducted by Rev. Mr. Adams, who was 
very cordial. Since leaving Beirut, we have passed 
Sidon, the city built by the grandson of Noah, and Sa- 
repta, the place where Elijah found the woman picking 
up sticks. We went in sight of old Tyre, the Tyre of 
King Hiram and the merchant ships, and we could 
plainly see the site, but all its splendor has passed. The 
fishermen were spreading their nets on the rocks, accord- 
ing to the prediction of the prophet. Best of all, we 
spent a long time at Mt. Carmel, saw the place where 
Elijah built his altar and challenged the priests of Baal ; 
and the river Kishon, below, where he drowned them 
after his victory. The place was also pointed out where 
he prayed, and sent his servant up to watch for the 
cloud. The afternoon was clear and beautiful, and as I 
looked out over the blue Mediterranean from my stand- 
point, so many centuries later, all the ages seemed to 
roll away, and I, for the moment, was with the prophet 
of fire Affectionately yours, C. 



l66 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Jerusalem, September 22, 1867. 

My dear E. : — .... We reached Joppa at midnight, 
and landed at early morning. Here we went up on the 
housetop of Simon the tanner, where Peter saw the 
vision. At half-past two p.m. we started on muleback 
for Jerusalem, 36 miles, riding all night to escape the 
heat; 21 miles first over the Plain of Sharon, then 15 
through the mountains. We had four Arabs with us, 
horrid to look upon, but faithful. When we stopped to 
rest, the jackals would surround us and scream like 
catamounts, but they dared not come up. We passed 
watch-towers every two miles, where soldiers are sta- 
tioned to keep the robbers off. The night was one of 
wild, solemn grandeur ; the brilliance of the skies, the 
dark mountain gorges, the yell of the jackals, the lights 
in trie watch-towers, and the swarthy Arabs, armed to 
the teeth, at our sides, — I would not have missed it for 
any railroad in the world. And now I have safely 
reached this great object of my desire, and looked with 
my own eyes upon Jerusalem. 

The city came upon my view first as I came up from 
the Joppa road. The sun had risen about an hour be- 
fore above the purple hills, and was gilding the city. 
The view was one of the least interesting, and my emo- 
tions were not deep. But when I passed under the 
massive portals of the Damascus gate, and heard the 
hum and roar of the city, and saw a thousand things at 
once, made familiar by the Scriptures, I knew I was in 
Jerusalem. Almost the first woman I met had coals of 
fire on her head. A boy had a skin of water in his 
hand, just the shape of the kid from which it was 
stripped, the hair all on. The Jew had his long phylac- 
tery, and maidens were carrying those long-necked 
earthen water-pots on their heads, the picture of which 
we have so often seen in the Scriptures. I have seen the 
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, covering the spot where 



LETTERS FROM ABROAD. \6j 

Christ was crucified and entombed. The Mount of 
Olives and Gethsemane are now before me as I write. 
My feet stand within the walls of Jerusalem. Last even- 
ing I walked about her walls and marked her bulwarks 
as the sun was sinking, and strolled through the Valley 
of Kidron, along the path which winds around the brow 
of Olivet to Bethany, the same path our Saviour's feet 
had so often trodden, and gave myself to the thoughts 
of the hour. This morning I attended a Protestant 
service, passing Calvary on my way. The 108th Psalm 
was read — a psalm of David, written here in Jerusalem. 
The 23d chapter of Matthew was also read, and this 
chapter was spoken by the Saviour very near where I 
was sitting. This evening I shall go out on the Mount 
of Olives to the place of the Ascension, and watch the 
sun go down behind the towers of Jerusalem. 

Always yours, C. 

Steamer "Cairo," off Xante, 
Near Brindisi, Italy, Oct. 8, 1867. 

My dear Wife : — I have done Egypt, visited the Cata- 
combs, floated on the Nile, and seen the Pyramids. Now 
I have turned my back upon Africa and Asia, and am 
emerging into light and civilization and comfort. The 
valley of the Nile is wonderful for beauty and fertility. 
It is green as a garden, and groaning under the most 
abundant growths of grain and fruits. The ride to Cairo, 
130 miles, was like a ride through Mr. Nichol's garden 
in mid-summer. And what strange, oriental life one 
sees at Cairo. It will take me hours to tell you the 
things I saw there besides the Pyramids and the Sphinx. 
Long caravans from the heart of Africa, spices from 
Arabia, silks and shawls from Persia, with the ottar of 
rose, and balm of cassia and myrrh. 

I had been over five weeks without a letter from you, 
and with what eagerness did I go to the office ! There 



1 68 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

were four fat ones waiting for Mr. Dudley, and one for 
me, and that one from Mr. Northend ; no word from 
you ! Good for Mr. N. ; he helped me out of a close 
pinch ! I will wait for yours till I get to Naples, where 
I trust I may find them. I hope you are not so waiting 
for mine. How often I think of you. I have got a sore 
heart for home. I also want to see my little boy. How 
does he do ? And a thousand questions I would ask 
about home affairs and the church. I shall take up the 
line fast now which I have been paying out, and be with 
you soon. 

Yours affectionately, C. 

Florence, Italy, Oct. 13, 1867. 
My beloved Wife : — I received to-day from Naples a 
package of fifteen letters, five of which were from you. 
This is the first word I have had for six weeks. In these 
I learn of your sickness and recovery all in the same 
breath, and give unfeigned praise to God, first for spar- 
ing you and the little boy, and second, for keeping me 
in ignorance till it was all over. Dear one, you did it 
bravely ! You and I will have to talk it all over one of 

these days The cholera kept me out of Naples, 

and the fighting made it impossible to visit Rome. 
Accordingly, we came on to this beautiful city, the art 
Paradise of earth, and are having a delightful time after 
the scorching heat of Syrian suns, and the fine dust of 
African deserts. From here we go to Venice, and thence 
to Milan and Turin, and so over the Mt. Cenis Pass, and 
on to Paris. Soon I shall be with you. My heart is 
with you. You have passed through trial alone. I wish 
I could have been near to bear it with you. I write but 
a word to-night. 

Milan, Italy, Oct. 20, 1867. 

My dear good Wife : — These October days are pass- 
ing like a charm in beautiful Italy. I know how delight- 



LETTERS FROM ABROAD. 1 69 

ful it is at home, but I can spare one autumn for the 
glory of scenery like this. I spent a week in Florence, 
dreaming in its galleries of art, and strolling among its 
classic shades ; and the mind can never lose charge of 
such memories This has been a quiet, lovely Sab- 
bath — mellow, almost tearful in its coloring and decay. 
I went to the English church this morning and heard 
a good sermon, and passed the wonderful Cathedral of 
Milan, and went in, both going and coming. I hope I 
did not break the Sabbath. I can say that I have en- 
deavored to be strictly Sabbath-keeping in all my jour- 
neying. I have always rested from travel, and made it 

a day, not of sight-seeing, but of rest and worship 

My passage is engaged on the good steamer Arago 
and I shall sail the first of November. Soon I am to 
see you, and be with you all the time. God has been 
good — how good ! I hope He sees gratitude in my 
heart. I shall find letters from you at Paris. I pray 
they may assure me of your health. Dear little Oliver, 
I am delighted to hear he can talk so well. How I shall 
hug him ! I thank God for His sparing mercies ! I could 
write a book ; but why ? when I am to see you so soon. It 
is getting late. There is a lovely park before my win- 
dow, and a fine statue of Count Cavour on the square. 
Dear one, adieu. 

C. 



IX. 

THE GOOD PASTOR 

1867— 1872. 



11 That which is truly and indeed characteristic of man is 
known only to God." — RUSKIN. 

" Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free, 
So didst thou travel on life's common way 
In cheerful godliness ; and yet thy heart 
The lowliest duties on herself did lay." 

— Wordsworth. 

" 'Tis breathed yet, that name— but oh ! 

How solemn new the sound ! 

One of the sanctities which throw 

Such awe, our homes around." 

—Trench. 



CHAPTER IX. 

PASTORAL TRAITS AND SUCCESSFUL LABORS DURING 
THE LAST YEARS OF HIS MINISTRY IN NEW 
BRITAIN. 

HAVING returned to his work, he resumed it with 
great ardor and enjoyment. It was his hearty enjoy- 
ment of his work which enabled him to accomplish so 
much in the ministry. He once said to a friend : " My 
work is laborious, but never a burden." Had it been 
burdensome, he would early have broken down under 
his multifarious labors. 

His hopefulness of spirit — a characteristic quality 
which was partly natural and partly due to his faith in 
God's promises, — also supported him in his great labors. 
The sustaining influence of hope in religious work has 
often been observed. It is a trait that is charac- 
teristic of the most successful workers in the Church 
of God. 

He did his work largely by laboring with individuals 
rather than masses. Most of the fruit of his ministry 
was " hand-picked." He had great skill in conversing 
with men so as to awaken in them an interest in the 
subject of religion, and when he had brought them to 
the condition of actual inquirers, he showed great wis- 
dom and unwearied perseverance in bringing them to 
a faith in Christ. There is therefore no part of his 
pastoral labors more interesting or instructive than 
that which describes his personal work with individual 
souls. 

(i73) 



174 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Prof. David N. Camp, of his church in New Britain, 
thus speaks of his efficiency and methods in this di- 
rection : 

Mr. Goodell's magnetism in personal interviews with non- 
professors of religion was striking. His few words went to the 
conscience, and were blessed by God in bringing many to re- 
pentance and faith. His love for Christ, which so characterized 
his growing power and breadth of view, made his ministrations 
effective ; and whether in his study, in travel, or in his more 
public services, those about him felt the magnetism of his 
spirit. His own deep and abiding love for the Master was 
effective in leading others to see somewhat of the Saviour's 
love for them. 

His mode of dealing with inquirers was not to awaken fear, or 
in any way to excite the emotions, so much as to bring Gospel 
truth to them, and press it home with constant portrayal of the 
love of Christ for sinners, and His readiness to pardon all who 

come penitently to Him Older Christians, who labored 

with him in the inquiry-room, learned much from his method of 
treating individuals. 

He was successful in removing doubts from inquirers, and in 
bringing the wavering to decision. In one case I well remember, 
a much-esteemed citizen, afterward mayor of our city, was at 
the church prayer-meeting, and remained after the meeting 
with those who stayed to be examined for admission to the 
church. He immediately volunteered the remark that he did 
not know why he was there, but that he had come on Mr. 
Goodell's invitation, who had passed an hour or more with him 
that day. This man declined examination that evening ; but 
in a week he came before the committee, and told his expe- 
rience and stated his faith in such a w r ay that he was admitted 
to the church. The act gave him a great deal of comfort. He 
was a consistent Christian in his subsequent life. He often said 
he believed that he never should have come into the church 
had not Mr. Goodell given him a special personal invitation, 
and devoted himself to removing his doubts and faithfully ex- 
plaining the duties of a Christian. Several other prominent 
members of the parish — who had become heads of families, re- 



LAST YEARS IN NEW BRITAIN. 1 75 

spected and esteemed in the community, but not members of 
the church — united with it at the same time, presumably upon 
the invitation and in consequence of the faithful teachings of 
Mr. Goodell. They have now passed away ; but I know that 
their union with God's people was a great comfort to them- 
selves, and I believe an advantage to the cause of Christ, which 
they honored by consistent Christian lives. 

A daughter of one of those prominent members of 
the parish thus writes : 

It was a very impressive time in our church history when so 
many older ones, heads of families, came forward and confessed 
the Lord. My father was one, and many an afternoon did Dr. 
Goodell spend with him in trying to persuade him to take the 
step. His arguments were so unanswerable, and his tact so 
wonderful, that they were not able to withstand the Spirit whose 
advocate he was. 

He was an indefatigable fisher of men. One of his 
church officers in New Britain who knew him very inti- 
mately says : 

His anxiety for those about him was such at times that he 
could not sleep ; and I have known of his walking our streets 
while others slept, unconscious of his anxiety for them and his 
earnest desire that they should become the true disciples of 
Christ. 

It was characteristic of him to seek to bring every 
member of a family into the Christian faith and fellow- 
ship of the church. It pained him to think of a house- 
hold divided in regard to the great salvation, so that 
one part could not share the religious hopes and senti- 
ments of the other part, and must stand aloof from the 
holy aims and activities which occupied them as Chris- 
tians. Such divisions, he believed, are fraught with 
peril and unhappiness to all concerned. Christian faith 



176 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

and joy are chilled by living in intimate family relations 
with those who have no sympathy with them. It is a 
hindrance to one's spiritual growth to live thus con- 
stantly with those who are indifferent or opposed to 
religion. It is also a cause of vexation and unhappi- 
ness to those who are not Christians, that they and 
their dearest kindred are not in entire accord ; that 
there is with each one chamber of the heart which is 
kept closed to the other, — a subject concerning which 
they maintain a constant reserve, instead of dwelling 
upon it joyfully and helpfully together. 

Dr. Goodell never would permit such a state of things 
to continue in a family if it was in his power to end it. 
He was constant and untiring in his efforts to bring the 
whole household — of father, mother, brothers, and sis- 
ters — to an acceptance of the Gospel. He was not con- 
tent to have "one taken and the other left," in the case 
of a husband and a wife, or of sister and brother. He 
used all his arts of persuasion to bring the halting one 
forward into the kingdom ; and if, at length, success 
crowned his endeavors, as it often did, though some- 
times not until after long years of patient waiting, his 
joy was great. The following letter is interesting as an 
instance, and for the rare wisdom of its counsel at the 
close. It was written to a cousin of "Annie," referred 
to on a previous page, living like a sister with her in 
the same family: 

New Britain, January n, 1870. 

My dear friend Minnie : — It was a happy day for 
me, and for many here who love you, when you came of 
your own free will into the fold of your Saviour, because 
you loved Him and desired to serve Him, and to begin 
the new year and the new life in His strength ; and I 



LAST YEARS IN NEW BRITAIN. 1 77 

doubt not there was much joy that day among the 
angels in the Heavenly world. 

Eight years ago, nearly, I wrote Miss Annie's name in 
the church-book, with the earnest prayer that you might 
soon choose the same Saviour and be found in His fold; 
and now the prayer offered by so many is fully answer- 
ed ; not in the fact simply that you have taken the vows 
of God upon you, but that you have come to know and 
accept and love the Saviour, and to be His dear child. 

And now my earnest desire is that you may be a liv- 
ing, useful disciple I am convinced of your desire 

to be good, and to do good, and to commit all j^our ways 
unto God. Never did a new year begin so hopefully for 
you before. You do not know what is before you, but 
you do know that if you rest in Christ, He will care for 
you whatever comes. 

And this is the thought I would give you. Do not 
think that in addition to all other burdens, you have the 
new one of doing religious duty, and so grow anxious 
and become disturbed in view of what is upon you, but 
rather feel that now you have got a new and precious 
Saviour to help you bear all the burdens, and to aid you 
in all the duties of life, and go in calm and loving con- 
fidence every day to Him, that He may be your kind and 

gracious keeper and helper in all things 

Very truly, Your Pastor. 

The foregoing letters to those two cousins were 
characteristic. He made much use of letters through- 
out his ministry to accomplish his aims. Letter-writ- 
ing formed one important feature in his method of 
pastoral work. " He was very felicitous," says one of 
his New Britain people, " in occasional letters address- 
ed to individual members of his flock ; letters full of 
suggestions for strengthening faith and encouraging 
8* 



178 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Christian activity." The following is given as a speci- 
men. It bears date of January 1. 

Dear Mr. M.: — I have a growing desire and hope 
that our blessed Lord will come this way this year with 
gifts of quickening and salvation in His hands. The 
hearts that open the door and bid Him welcome, will 
sup with this King of Glory, and learn the gracious 
secrets of His love 

I have always felt that it has been given to you of our 
Heavenly Father to be the medium of good unto many 
by your words and prayers. When your heart is tuned 
by the Holy Spirit to divine sympathies, others are led 
thereby to feel the thrill and quickening of the same 
love. It may be that God desires to do precious work 
for His glory through you this new year. 

Let us walk together, my dear brother, out upon 
God's promises to the very edge (they will bear us), and 
reap together by His favor, and taste together the sweet- 
ness and blessedness of that grace that is flowing in for 
us from afar. 

Affectionately yours, C. L. Goodell. 

By the same method, i. e. y of letter-writing, he stimu- 
lated the lagging to the performance of neglected duty, 
comforted the afflicted, admonished the erring, and en- 
treated the unconverted to come to Christ. There are 
many people in New Britain and in St. Louis who 
now carefully preserve such letters from him as precious 
treasures. They are valued not only as mementoes of 
a beloved pastor, but as instructive and inspiring expo- 
sitions of Christian conduct and life. 

A lady had come, at her marriage, from her home in 
another State, to be a member of his congregation with 
her husband. The first Sabbath she attended his 






LAST YEARS IN NEW BRITAIN. 1 79 

church, a bride and a stranger, the pastor saw her, and 
surmising, as she thought, the feelings of loneliness and 
homesickness which then oppressed her heart, so framed 
his petition for " the stranger within our gates," that 
she felt that she had found a friend in the pastor, and 
her heart was lightened. The first two years of her 
married life were years of sorrow mingled with happi- 
ness. The sadness of bereavement tempered her joy as 
a young mother. " I neglected," she says, " to present 

my letter of dismissal from my home church in to 

my adopted church in New Britain." After a reason- 
able time he wrote to her a letter in which delicate 
reference was made to all this. It was a letter of Chris- 
tian sympathy, congratulation, and advice. After re- 
minding her of her duty in regard to uniting with the 
church, he said: 

I write this to you as I would to my sister, in order to 
the highest good of your Christian life. I have felt 
deeply for you in the sorrow which came upon you in 
the death of your sister and father, and rejoice with 
you in the happiness of your own home in your husband 
and child. I do most earnestly pray that God may bless 
you, and keep your heart full of His love. Never turn 
from that precious Saviour. Follow Him with your 
whole heart, and neglect no duty which He puts upon 
you. 

It is no wonder that the recipient of this letter speaks 
of it as "among my carefully laid-aside treasures." 

It would be a mistake to assume, because of his 
earnestness and constancy of purpose in seeking to 
win his people, whether young or old, to Christ, that 
he wearied and vexed them by his importunate urgency. 
He never thrust the subject of religion upon unwilling 



180 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

ears. He was as wise as he was earnest. In fact, his 
earnestness led him to cultivate and practice wisdom 
in order to secure the greater success. He possessed 
wonderful tact in addressing people. He knew when 
to speak and when to keep silence. When he did speak 
his words usually hit the mark. " No one knew better," 
says a friend in New Britain, " how to say the right 
thing at the right time." Because of this aptness, his 
sayings were long remembered. They lingered in the 
minds of those who heard them an inspiration and in- 
citement for years afterward. 

To his wisdom and tact he united a geniality and 
pleasantry of mind which greatly advanced his success. 
Few could resist the spell of his bright, cheerful wit. 
They were captivated in spite of themselves. Often 
those who met him with the aversion of a strong, un- 
friendly prejudice, were so impressed in his favor by a 
single interview that they were made thenceforward 
his fast friends. But he made them his friends that 
they might become the friends and followers of Christ. 
This aim was always kept in view, and sooner or later 
was manifest. 

A Christian lady of his flock in New Britain men- 
tions, as peculiar to him, " A readiness in all our social 
gatherings, to introduce topics for religious conversa- 
tion, so easily, so agreeably, without formality, but in 
a way to interest all, and make the occasion delightful 
and profitable." There was nothing in all this of a 
professional or perfunctory character. Nothing was 
affected ox put on. It was all genuine — the simple out- 
shining of the fire that burned within. It might have 
been truly said of him, as was said of the late Bishop 
Wilberforce, of England, " He never parades or brings 
forward his religious feelings. They are only the climate 



LAST YEARS IN NEW BRITAIN. l8l 

of all his mind : talents, knowledge, eloquence, liveli- 
ness — all evidently Christian." Another lady of his 
congregation says, speaking of his uniform cheerfulness : 
" All events of life seemed to be bathed in the sunny 

light of his Christianity It seemed as if he were 

always ready to give out from his store of cheerfulness 
some words of inspiration and comfort for others." 

He possessed another faculty which was also charac- 
teristic of the distinguished English churchman above 
referred to — that of concentrating his attention and in- 
terest at any moment on whatever person or matter 
was presented to him. It came from his extraordinary 
power of sympathy. His power of sympathizing with 
all who approached was a wonderful gift, and some- 
times seemed akin to intuition. It was often a puz- 
zle how he could so readily lay aside his own train of 
thought, and his personal cares and troubles, and so 
cordially enter into the feelings of those near him. 

" How patiently he always listened to our troubles," 
says another, " and gave the sunshine of his smile with 
the counsel. If we went to speak of the spiritual wel- 
fare of our children, or the every-day trials, he was ever 
the same sympathizing friend. I went to him one 
evening with some act of injustice to my boy at school 
(Mr. Goodell was one of the committee). He seemed 
at ease and at leisure. I made a long story and a 
long call. He listened attentively, and dropped in the 
oil judiciously, and I was comforted. As I rose to 
leave, he said, ' I fear I have not said anything to 
help you. The truth is, I am nearly distracted with a 
terrible toothache. I can hardly bear it ! I wish you 
could go to the dentist for me ! ' I could have gone 
on my knees to the man ! In his agony, I had been 
pouring into his patient ear my petty cares, and he had 



1 82 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

listened and smiled and advised, and gave no sign of 
his own suffering." 

His sympathy was especially exercised toward the 
poor. On them he lavished his thought, time, and 
money. He saw in them objects of Christ's special 
care. They were His brethren : the portion of man- 
kind for which His Gospel was peculiarly designed. 
" He was particularly happy," we are told, " in his 
labors and visitations among them. He carried to them 
both substantial and spiritual help, and one in order to 
the other. He often remarked, ' We should first carry 
the loaf of bread to the needy, and thus prepare the 
way for the bread of life.' " 

He never seemed to think of the poor, to whose re- 
lief or support his church contributed, as burdens upon 
its strength. They were blessings, rather, to it. They 
appealed to and exercised those tender, humane feel- 
ings of the heart which preserve men from hardness, 
and mellow them to kindness and benevolence. " Dur- 
ing his ministry here," says a member of the South 
Church, New Britain, " we had a number of old ladies 
who were without near relatives, and entirely depend- 
ent upon charity. The care of these he assigned to 
one of the deacons. He would say, when speaking of 
their lowly and destitute condition, ' Well, the dear old 
souls will not stay with us long. They are waiting and 
longing to go home. A joyful time it will be when 
they reach the Father's house. It is a blessed thing 
for us that we can minister to them for the little time 
they are to remain here. We shall never be sorry that 
we could do something to sweeten their lives. What 
would a church be without the poor to care for?' ' 

When he met a poor man of his congregation, he 
met him as a brother beloved. There was no appear- 



LAST YEARS IN NEW BRITAIN. 1 83; 

ance of condescension or affected warmth on the one 
hand, nor of reserve on the other, but a hearty, brotherly- 
greeting, by which the man was cheered and his heart 
lightened. 

44 1 was walking down Main Street one day," says a 
Christian lady of New Britain, "and in the distance saw 
Mr. Goodell hastening toward me with an eager, strong 
step. All at once I saw a smile ; his face brightened. 
I was ready for a pleasant greeting, when I noticed 
just before me a common laboring man, moving with 
a slow, shuffling step, his arms filled with bundles. 
Mr. Goodell's countenance just beamed as he caught 
up with him, extending both hands, and exclaimed : 
1 How glad I am to see you, Mr. B. How is the sick 
wife? And how are the children? It is so long since 
I have seen you ! ' / passed by unseen, but turned to 
meet a face I never saw before ; and I could see the 
happiness given by the cordial greeting and sympathy 
of that great heart. 

44 Again, I was passing a building in process of erec- 
tion. One of the laborers was carrying his burden up 
a high ladder. Mr. Goodell came along slowly, watch- 
ing the building. He recognized the man, and called 
out : ' Ah, my friend, I have found you ! I've been look- 
ing for you. Come down here, I want to talk with 
you.' The man deposited his burden and came down, 
and I last saw them in close conversation." 

He had known in his early years hard labor, and the 
hardships and discomforts of limited means. The mem- 
ory of those years, and the thought of his hard-working, 
frugal parents, gave him the ability to sympathize with 
such poor laborers. He could realize what their bur- 
dens were, and he knew their need of light and comfort 
from above. 



1 84 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

He desired and labored unceasingly to bring them 
in larger numbers to the house of God — to make it 
attractive and inviting to them, and to remove every 
obstacle that might keep them from it. Moved by this 
desire he once expressed the wish, on a Sabbath pre- 
ceding the annual sale of pews in his church at New 
Britain, that " those in humble or moderate circum- 
stances might not be required to pay more than they 
were able for their sittings, and then proposed to re- 
linquish five hundred dollars of his salary, to be applied 
for the benefit of such people in paying for their seats 
in church." His tender heart, in its sympathy for them, 
felt the pinch of their poverty, and prompted him thus 
to relieve them, that they might not be deprived of the 
blessings of the house of God, or think of the Gospel as 
imposing heavy burdens. 

Phillips Brooks, addressing the students of one of our 
theological seminaries upon the duties and work of the 
ministry, says: " Give much time and thought and care 
to the outskirts of your parish, to its loose and ragged 
fringes ; seek the people who just drift within your 
influence, and who will drift away again if your kind, 
strong hand is not upon them." 

Dr. Goodell is a good example of those earnest, faith- 
ful ministers who in practice act upon the principle 
thus recommended. People who, in the case of an or- 
dinary minister, would be but transient hearers — staying 
in the congregation but a brief period, and remaining 
strangers while they stayed — were laid hold of by him 
and fastened to the church, and made her grateful and 
constant supporters. He had the art of attaching men 
to his ministry, and by means of his ministry of con- 
verting them to the faith of the Gospel. 

He made efforts to reach and win those whom other 



LAST YEARS IN NEW BRITAIN. J 85 

ministers thought it vain to attempt to reach, and by 
his success he proved that no class of men is to be re- 
garded as hopelessly beyond the power of our Christi- 
anity. He extended his interest, we are told, even to 
foreigners unacquainted with our language. There are 
many of these in New Britain who now speak of Dr. 
Goodell with veneration. Some were baptized by him 
in infancy, others were guided by him in their religious 
doubts and inquiries. 

He was no less attentive to the sick and infirm, and 
in this fulfilled the requirements of the highest standard 
of pastoral fidelity. "The pastor," says Bengel, "should 
give the greatest care to the first of his parish and to 
the last — i. e., to the children and to the dying. To 
the first because it is from them that the most fruit may 
be expected, and to the last because he has but a very 
short time to acquit himself of his ministry toward 
them." How Mr. Goodell discharged his pastoral duty 
to the children we have seen ; that he was equally 
faithful to the sick we have the testimony of many wit- 
nesses. His ministry alike to the sick and the poor 
and the sorrowful is described in a single sentence of 
one of them : " He was a bright star shining in a dark 
place." His entrance into the sick-room was that of a 
bringer of the Gospel of peace. The light of heaven 
gladdened it for the time, and heavenly strength and 
refreshment were imparted to the weary soul. His 
words to the sick and the afflicted were benedictions. 
Most of them are lost to the memory — they cannot be 
recalled so as to be repeated — but their good impression 
is certain. Many of his New Britain congregation who 
heard them have gone to their eternal home, helped to a 
safe passage thither by his ministry. Of those who still 
remain, and who remember his pastorate as a field of sun- 



1 86 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

shine in the past, the most, if asked to give a particular 
account of it, would find their minds expressed by an 
intelligent lady among them, who says ; " When I try to 
describe special acts and words which impressed me, I 
feel as if I were trying to disentangle a web which was 
for years interwoven with my life, and refused to be 
separated." 

In administering consolation to the sick and the af- 
flicted, he used the method and the spiritual remedies 
of the Gospel. There is a way of administering con- 
solation that enfeebles the heart and keeps it soft and 
effeminate. There is another way that converts the 
affliction into a means of good to the soul, making it 
ever after, purer, stronger, nobler. The last method is 
the Gospel method. It is the method that was em- 
ployed to comfort the apostle Paul when afflicted with 
that mysterious trouble which he speaks of as "a thorn 
in the flesh." The method is to strengthen the heart 
by means of grace divine, so that it shall rise above 
its trouble. Instead of coddling the sufferer with sooth- 
ing applications of pity, and indulging him in his inclina- 
tion to sink down into a settled state of childish weakness 
and complaining melancholy, it tries by the inspiration 
of God's truth to lift him up to a condition of serene 
patience and Christian cheerfulness. " The truest help," 
says a wise teacher, " which one can render to a man 
who has any of the inevitable burdens of life to carry, 
is not to take his burden off, but to call out his best 
strength that he may be able to bear it." 

There was manifestly in Mr. Goodell a steady growth 
in ministerial power to the last. It was especially 
noticeable in the closing years of his pastorate in 
New Britain. Professor Camp makes special mention 
of it, and rightly discerns its cause. " His growth in 



LAST YEARS IN NEW BRITAIN. 1 87 

ministerial power," he says, " was largely the outcome 

of his personal growth in nearness to God The 

last years of his ministry here were characterized by a 
very high aim, and a marked consecration. His love for 
Christ and entire devotion to His service were so char- 
acteristic and decisive in those years, as to be observed 
not only by the members of his church who were most 
with him, but by others, especially his intimate friends 
in the ministry." Evidence of his growth in nearness to 
God is afforded by the written prayers found in his pri- 
vate note-book. Such prayers are of frequent occurrence. 
They would, if collected together, form a considerable 
volume. They cover a wide range of subjects, and 
were composed under various circumstances, and in 
different places. Like Dr. Payson, wherever he went 
he found or made a Bethel. 

The following is dated September 6, 1868, "On the 
Hill," St. Johnsbury, Vermont, where he usually spent 
a large part of his summer vacations. " The Hill " 
was on the place of Governor Fairbanks ; it was a 
favorite spot with Dr. Goodell : 

God, Thou seest me. Forgive my sins. Accept 
my praise for Thy gracious hand in all my life. I here 
give my heart to Thee. Keep me from untruth in word 
and deed and character. Make me diligent. May I fill 
my life with usefulness. Give me richly to know Thy 
truth. Open themes for sermons. Help me to lead 
souls to Thee. Everywhere may I show the spirit of 
Christ. Reconcile to me my enemies. Bless my wife 
and save my little boy. Care for me while I live. Keep 
me from evil. Sustain and save me in death, for Christ's 
sake. Amen. 

1 here make this solemn covenant with Thee, O God ; 
keep me from drawing back. 



1 88 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

The following is dated New Britain, January I, 1870: 

From all my besetting sins, O Lord, deliver me, and 
give me grace sufficient. 

For all Thy -mercies, O Lord, teach me to be thank- 
ful, and to use them for Thy glory. Aid me that I may 
lead and feed the people ; and make me very useful to 
Thy kingdom. The sins of the old year, O Lord, for- 
give. The duties of the new year, help me to meet. 

May these new-year days be planting days. 

May we review our conduct, and not our feelings only. 

To his friend Rev. Austin Hazen, who had written to 
him on his fortieth birthday, March 16th, he wrote in 
reply : 

New Britain, March 29, 1870. 

I am old and yet young. Do you recall some moments 
of exaltation in view of our work, at Andover, in Bos- 
ton, and elsewhere, in which it seemed good to live, good 
to be God's children ; to work, to suffer, to walk with 
upward look, and be linked to God and made the par- 
takers of His glory evermore ? Those come often now, and 
are more sweet and precious, and grand with every year. 

I am well in body ; I am happy in my family, and 
blessed in my church. I feel in my deepest soul all the 
depths of the pit from which I have been digged, and 
put the crown of praise daily on Christ's majestic brow. 
No mortal under heaven will ever owe Him so much as 
I do. He is the rock cleft for me, in which I hide. I 

have grieved Him, but I love Him I shall be in 

Burlington at Commencement, and hope to sun my 
spirit in the smile of many friends, and invoke the glad- 
heartedness of the past to solace some of the present 
weariness of body and spirit. Pray for me that God may 
live in me, and use all He has given me for His praise. 
Did I ever tell you how your spirit was with me hour 



LAST YEARS IN NEW BRITAIN. 1 89 

after hour as I walked on the walls round about Jerusa- 
lem ? 

Affectionately yours, C. L. Goodell. 

In his written prayers of that date we find the follow- 
ing for his church : 

O God, I must give an account unto Thee of this peo- 
ple. I pray for them to-day. I present them to Thee. 
Fill the void in their souls. Touch the springs of their 
life. May they prefer poverty to dishonor, and financial 
failure to neglect of duty to Thee. May their souls not 
go unblest. And whether wealth and honor and out- 
ward success come to them and their families or not, 
may God come to them, and spiritual life and love, and 
that divine blessing that maketh rich. Bless this church. 
Let there be no barren trees in this vineyard. To some 
Thou dost give an inheritance of tears ; bless them. 
Bless those to whom the days go by sadly, out of whose 
lives the light has gone, and who live in the joys of the 
past. We thank Thee for all our earthly good. We 
thank Thee more for friendships and loves and sympa- 
thies ; we thank Thee most for the bright hopes that 
cheer the future. Bless any of us who are not on our 
way to Heaven. Draw from us the frost and ill-will ; 
may we see the good in men and events. Take, from us 
the evil eye and the bitter tongue. 

The best evidence of his growth in ministerial power 
is found in the extraordinary increase of his church in 
numbers and efficiency. During the last half of his 
ministry in New Britain, 247 were added to the church 
on confession of faith, an average of 35 a year, while 
for the preceding twenty-four years the additions to the 
church by this way had been but 176, or an average of 
between seven and eight a year. 



190 



THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 



It is a very interesting study to note the particulars 
of the remarkable growth of the church from 1866 
to 1872, as set forth in the Church Manual, year by 
year. The following table, constructed from data found 
in that manual, exhibits the details of that growth : 





Additions. 


Total. 


Removals. 


Total. 




Year. 










Gain. 




By Con- 


By Let- 




By Dis- 










fession. 


ter. 




mission. 








1866 


46 


37 


8.3 


12 


4 


■6 


67 


1867 


H 


13 


27 


IO 


6 


16 


II 


1868 


9 


43 


52 


7 


6 


13 


39 


1869 


75 


3i 


106 


12 


3 


15 


92 


1870 


13 


29 


42 


21 


6 


27 


15 


1871 


17 


26 


43 


16 


" 5 


32 


11 


1872 


73 


22 


95 


23 


7 


30 


65 


Totals for 














seven years 


247 


201 


448 


IOI 


48 


149 


300 



There is great significance in such a table of figures. 
If one stops to ponder their meaning, how much prayer, 
and effort on the part of the pastor and his helpers 
they indicate ! It seems as if those figures resolved 
themselves into pictures representing different scenes 
in the church life during the years that are covered by 
them. Revival meetings, inquiry meetings, sermons 
preached before hushed assemblies, conversations with 
individuals, in which the pastor and his co-laborers in 
the church wrestled soul with soul in the endeavor to 
persuade and win them to Christ ; all this, and much 
more, is included in those figures. Included in them, 
besides the manifold labors for the conversion of those 
souls, are the alterations wrought in their characters 
and lives. Who can estimate what is involved in the 
conversion of a soul ? The words of Scripture, " He 



LAST YEARS IN NEW BRITAIN. I9I 

which converteth a sinner from the error of his way- 
shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude 
of sins," comprehensive and suggestive as they are, but 
vaguely hint the whole truth. Dr. Goodell, however, 
vividly realized the importance of such a conversion 
from his own experience. Among the memorable ser- 
mons preached by him in New Britain was one preached 
in April, 1869, upon the text, 2 Cor. xii. 2 : " I know a 
man in Christ, fourteen years ago .... caught up 
even to the third heaven " (see Revised Version), 
in which he dwelt impressively upon his own conver- 
sion fourteen years before, and the momentous change 
wrought in him by it. By his remembrance of what 
God had done for him, he was continually spurred on 
to rescue others from the bondage of sin. It may be 
confidently asserted concerning the majority of those 
additions to the church enumerated in the above table, 
that they were the fruits of his strenuous toil. They 
were not generally caught by a net — a multitude at a 
time — but one by one, as by a hook. He watched for 
their souls ; waited for his opportunity in the case of 
each, and when the opportunity came, diligently im- 
proved it. 

When they came into the church, instead of thinking 
his responsibility for them ended, he felt that it was 
just begun. They then were commended to his interest 
by a new tie. They were his younger brethren in Christ. 
One of the secrets of his great success lay in his per- 
sonal interest in each member of his flock. He was not 
only desirous that his church should do a grand work, 
but that every member should have a hand in it. He 
labored to develop the power of each, and especially to 
bring into the service of Christ those special personal 
gifts which might distinguish them as individuals. 

He believed that the usefulness of churches keeps 



19- THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

them alive, and that as soon as they decline in their 
efficiency for good, they languish and begin to die. It 
was his desire to make his church completely alive, by 
developing to the utmost the religious character and 
the benevolent activity of all. And so he made it his 
continual study how to keep them usefully employed. 
" I remember," one of his most active church members 
says, " that he would frequently call and present some 
suggestion for a particular work that he thought I could 
do. And in his pastoral visits among the people he 
would show the greatest tact and wisdom in adapting 
his remarks and suggestions in such a way as to be help- 
ful, and leave an impression that there was something 
for each one to do. He would find out, if possible, 
what were the hindrances to Christian work, and then, 
by some well-chosen remark or quotation of a passage 
of Scripture, would lodge something in the mind which 
would afterward bear fruit." 

It is the general opinion concerning Dr. Goodell that 
he was more eminent as a pastor than as a preacher. 
Perhaps that opinion is correct, and yet he was a re- 
markable preacher. The fact that he drew such large 
congregations of intelligent, thoughtful people to hear 
him ; that he held them, year after year, without any 
abatement of interest ; that they confessed he fed and 
inspired them by his sermons as few other preachers 
did, and that they were stimulated to personal faith in 
Christ, and works of mercy, and extraordinary achieve- 
ments in their united efforts, affords convincing proof 
of his power as a preacher. We have further evidence 
of this in the fact that many of his sermons, heard years 
ago, are still vividly remembered, often spoken of, and 
quoted, and commented upon. 

The sermons of an inferior preacher are not thus re- 



LAST YEARS IX NEW BRITAIN. 1 93 

membered and commented upon so many years after 
they are heard. It is only extraordinary ability in 
the preacher, usually, that produces such extraordinary 
and lasting impressions in the hearers. There are, in- 
deed, some striking exceptions to this rule ; cases where 
the preaching of humble men of inferior mental ability 
produces upon individuals, and upon whole congrega- 
tions, profound impressions that lead to remarkable re- 
sults. The humble preachers whose sermons were 
blessed to the conversion of Toplady and of John Owen, 
are memorable examples. But such cases are excep- 
tions. They occur that the glory of such conversions 
may be of God. They illustrate the apostle's saying, 
that " God hath chosen the weak things of the world 
to confound the things that are mighty." 

Such preachers belong to a different class from that 
in which Richard Baxter, Edward Payson, and Constans 
Goodell are found. These have an eminence which 
rests upon the general excellence of their work, and 
the usual impression made by it. They had the power 
of striking chords upon occasion, to which there was an 
enthusiastic and multitudinous response. They did this 
frequently, showing that they were endowed with rare 
gifts of utterance. 

Mr. Goodell's sermons often had a pungency which 
thrilled his hearers. " Many and many a time,'" says 
one, " they seemed aimed at me personally." They so 
presented the truth that men felt its touch. Without 
being personal, they answered to Robert Hall's descrip- 
tion of a good sermon by being "characteristic, that 
the conscience of the audience may feel the hand of 
the preacher searching it, and every individual know 
where to class himself." This is one reason why they 
were remembered so long. " The words of the wise 
9 



194 THE LIFE OF CONSTAKS L. GOODELL. 

are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of 
assemblies." 

Dr. Goodell had certain personal qualities which 
made him an impressive preacher. Besides his com- 
manding figure, and fine voice, and deep emotional 
nature, there was his countenance, benignant and friend- 
ly. " I shall never forget," says one of his New Britain 
hearers. " the genial, sympathetic, all-embracing smile 
with which he used to look over the congregation after 
entering the pulpit on Sunday morning. It seemed 
like a greeting, an exhortation, and a benediction all in 
one." He preached with unction. He usually went 
from his knees to his pulpit, his face often shining like 
that of Moses with the light of God's countenance. 

In his note-book, or on loose leaves, we have found 
many prayers that were evidently composed for the 
Sabbath congregation. They are probably sketches, 
more or less complete, of prayers actually uttered in 
the service of the Sabbath. We may think of them as 
private preludes to, or morning rehearsals for the wor- 
ship of God's house. Many of them are very striking 
both in thought and language. The following example 
belongs to this part of his New Britain pastorate : 

Give us a prayerful spirit. The bird is not always on 
the wing, but always ready. So should we be. 

We have our little sphere, and live round and round 
in it. Come in upon us from above, O Lord, with the 
great things of Thy kingdom and Thy eternity. Draw 
new stops in our souls. Come with Thy light and love, 
and let us feel the power of the world to come.] 

We are living in a foreign land ; our home is with 
Thee. 

Teach us how to praise Thee as we ought ; we know 
already how to murmur and complain. We thank Thee 



LAST YEARS IN NEW BRITAIN. 1 95 

for Thy love. Love is the greatest thing Thou canst 
give. 

May we in our trials and temptations never desert 
Thee. Thou wilt never desert us. Thou feelest our sor- 
rows as if they were Thine own. May we serve Thee in 
storm as we have in sunshine ; although it is not so 
easy, our need of Thee is greater. Thou hast been our 
helper in all the past ; we have learned to trust Thee. 

We thank Thee that life has more smiles than tears ; 
more bright than clouded skies ; that the lengthening 
day gains on the lessening night. 

We thank Thee for our godly ancestry, for the seeds 
of righteousness and truth planted here which have 
made the nation great. May we raise the chorus of 
God's thankful children. There is not so much sin in 
us as goodness in Thee. 

Give us cheerfulness, which is the song without words. 

We may lose everything, yet not lose our souls. We 
may go to Heaven without riches or friends, yet not 
without Thee. 

May the Great Head of the Church alone speak to us 
at this hour, and all earth-sounds be hushed in the still 
presence of His leading. May there be a table spread 
in our own hearts. May the life-streams from the pulpit 
flow straight through every heart here to-day. Let the 
truth spoken be baptized with holy fire. 

Call us, so that we shall know the voice is Thine. Thou 
hast made this day to us as Mt. Lebanon and the hills of 
frankincense. 

He writes to Rev. Austin Hazen : 

May 3, 1871. 
Your good letter, written on my birthday, found a live 
spot in me. It stirred a great and tender desire to see 
you, and review the times gone by, and talk of present 



I96 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

work, and the joys of the way as we move on toward 
the gates of light. 

I have a soul overflowing daily with gratitude to God 
for His mercies to me, so rich, and dealt out with such 
loving care toward one so unworthy. Honor to that 
Saviour who can build a kingdom of eternal blessed- 
ness and beauty out of poor, broken, and worthless 
timber ! Other builders have sought the good material, 
and had no place for the maimed and halt and blind of 
soul. He takes the fragments of our ruined humanity, 
and weaves them by His grace into forms of sweet and 
everlasting joy. 

My work goes evenly and easily and pleasantly. I 
never so exulted to run the Christian race as now, for 
seemingly never was so much strength given 

Our passage is engaged for Liverpool on the good 
steamer Wyoming, and we sail the 31st of May, to be 
absent a few months. It is only a little longer vacation 
from work. I cannot keep up long at the speed of the 
last few years unless I do break away. Remember us 
out on the deep sea, and pray for us. 

It is not surprising, considering his superior qualifi- 
cations and the remarkable success achieved by him in 
New Britain, that he attracted notice. His devotion 
to his pastoral work, and his splendid achievements in 
organizing his church for Christian activity, and in de- 
veloping its power in various directions, gained for him 
the title of "the Model Pastor of Connecticut." Prom- 
inent churches in different parts of the land seeking a 
minister, were led by his growing reputation to send 
delegations to hear him, and to inquire about his work. 
He had received calls, or offers of calls, from several 
of these before the Pilgrim Church in St. Louis pre- 
sented its claims to consideration to him. He declined 



LAST YEARS IX NEW BRITAIN. I97 

them promptly, feeling that his work in New Britain 
was not yet done. His church enjoyed an extensive 
revival in 1869, by which it was largely increased. The 
interest continued through 1870 and 1871, and in 1872 it 
swelled into another revival wave, by which seventy-two 
were brought into the church on confession of faith. 

In the summer of that year he was visited by a dele- 
gation from the Pilgrim Church in St. Louis, and pressed 
to accept a call from that church, which was formally 
given September 12, 1872. This church had been nearly 
a year without a settled pastor. It was engaged in the 
erection of a spacious, beautiful house of worship, built 
of light sandstone, and at that time nearly completed. 
The church was located in a new, rapidly growing part 
of the city, the inhabitants of which were of a supe- 
rior class, largely from New England and the Middle 
States. 

From the first, Mr. Goodell felt the importance of 
this call. With a prophetic foresight of the great com- 
mercial importance of St. Louis as the gateway to the 
Southwest, and of the possibilities of usefulness which 
it offered from its relation of metropolis to all that vast 
region; feeling certain also from the location of the 
-church that it might, if wisely led, attain to a position 
of the highest influence in the city, the call had the 
attraction of a grand opportunity for usefulness. 

There was another reason which led him to consider 
the call. His wife was in delicate health from a bron- 
chial trouble, which was working down into her lungs. 
He consulted Dr. Bowditch, of Boston, and Dr. Peaselee, 
of New York, in regard to it. They both were of the 
opinion that the climate of New Britain was too harsh 
for her, and that her only hope of recovery lay in the 
removing to some milder locality in the interior. When 



198 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

asked what they thought of the climate of St. Louis, 
just then brought to the notice of Mr. and Mrs. Goodell 
by the call of Pilgrim Church, they concurred in the 
opinion that its climatic conditions were well suited 
to her needs. This opinion, confirmed by subsequent 
experience, probably turned the wavering scale. 

He could not ignore the fact that he had been sig- 
nally useful where he then was, or be insensible to the 
reasons his church in New Britain urged why he should 
stay. They had been an affectionate and loyal people. 
He loved them greatly. It was a perplexing question 
of duty, and he did not hastily decide it. He visited 
St. Louis to view the field. He deliberated thought- 
fully and prayerfully over the matter, seeking divine 
direction in regard to it. " I believe," says Prof. Camp, 
" that he was so devoted to the work in New Britain, 
and his heart was so in it, that he would gladly have 
given his life to it, had not the Providence of God called 
him away." 

" The Providence of God called him away "; this was 
his own conviction at length. To the Pilgrim Church 
he said, after reaching St. Louis, and recounting the 
circumstances under which he had come to them : 

In reviewing the whole case I believe a Divine Provi- 
dence planned it all. All last summer, although God 
was richly blessing the work I was doing — having given 
us ninety-seven new members during the year — I felt that 
the hand of God was on me, for what I could not tell. 
My bark seemed to be sailing into strange new seas. The 
breath of Jehovah was carrying me, as by a current, into 
new realms of thought and feeling in His kingdom, where 
I had never voyaged before. It was all a mystery to me. 
Like St. Paul in the Adriatic, I deemed I "drew near to 
some country." What was in the Heavenly Father's will 



LAST YEARS IN NEW BRITAIN. 1 99 

concerning me ? I cast out four anchors, as Paul did, 
and wished for day ; for I loved my church, and hoped 
that not a single anchor of my ship would ever be 
weighed, should it please God. I wanted to live and die 
with the dear people who had been my joy and my 
crown. Soon the men from St. Louis stood before me. 
.... It was nothing new to be asked to go to another 
church. I had become hardened to such things, for 
men are wanted everywhere. But there was something 
in their claims that I could not easily put by. Men were 

in the movement ; I felt also that God was in it 

I opened the Scriptures for counsel, and this passage 
came to me: "Behold I have set before thee an open 
door, and no man can shut it." At another time when 
I was seeking the word of God, "as more than my neces- 
sary food," this promise was given me: "I will not leave 
thee nor forsake thee ; so that we may boldly say, The 
Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall 
do unto me." Later still, when I was looking up to the 
heavens in an hour of misgiving, these words were 
wafted down : " I will give you a mouth and wisdom 
which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay 
nor resist." These were the angels that met me in the 
way, as Abraham and Jacob were met. Finally the 
physicians opened the gates and said : "You must pass 
through into the new field, else clouds which have been 
in your household only as shadows playing on summer 
grass, will deepen into gloom. So the purpose was 
sealed." 

His letter of acceptance to the call of Pilgrim Church 
bears date of November 18, 1872, and is a model of felic- 
itous brevity. It reads: 

Dear Brethren : — Believing that your call is God's 



200 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

voice to me, I accept it, in the hope that my ministry 
may be the voice of God to you. 

Yours in Christ, C. L. Goodell. 

The day he decided the matter, he wrote these three 
things in his diary: "Preach Christ and His salvation, 
and not the traditions of the elders "; " Preach for 
souls, and not for sensation "; " Preach for immediate 
results." 

Having decided to leave New Britain, he would not 
tarry long. His resignation was given to his church 
November ioth. Two weeks later he closed his pastor- 
ate with that beloved people, and started the next day 
for St. Louis. 

" Words," says one of the officers of his church in 
New Britain, " cannot express our love for him, or our 
sorrow at parting with him. It was hard to be submis- 
sive. But the result has shown that the Lord wanted 
him elsewhere. The ' Great West ' was his place." 



X. 
WORK IN A LARGER FIELD. 

1872— 1873. 



"Thou cam'st not to thy place by accident, 
It is the very place God meant for thee." 

—Trench. 

" The heights by great men reached and kept, 
Were not attained by sudden flight ; 
But they, while their companions slept, 
Were toiling upward in the night." 

—Longfellow. 

. . . . " That temperance and serenity of mind which, as it is 
the ripest fruit of wisdom, is also the sweetest." — James Rus- 
sell Lowell. 




PILGRIM CHURCH, ST. LOUIS, MO. 



CHAPTER X. 

FIRST YEAR IN ST. LOUIS — THE FIELD AND THE 
WORK TO BE DONE. 

Mr. GOODELL was in his forty-third year when he 
entered upon his work in St. Louis. He reached the 
city, with Mrs. Goodell and their children, November 
27, 1872, the day before the annual Thanksgiving day. 
They received a hospitable welcome, and found a tem- 
porary home at 2734 Lucas Avenue, the residence of 
Judge Warren Currier, a member of Pilgrim Church. 
Exhausted by the fatigue of moving, and the pain of 
parting with his New Britain people, Mr. Goodell was 
quite ill when he arrived in St. Louis. 

Several years afterward, in some interesting reminis- 
cences of this time given to his congregation, he thus 
describes the circumstances under which he came to 
them in the beginning of his ministry : 

I came among you a pilgrim and a stranger — weary, 
heart-sore, and ill. I had left the bright and happy 
home of my early ministry, to which I had brought my 
bride, and where my children were born. I had left a 
prosperous church and a devoted people, and come out 
a thousand miles and more toward the sunset, into an 
unknown land, to be greeted by the clouded waters of 
the Mississippi and the murky air of St. Louis. If there 
were two home-sick persons in St. Louis that night I 
can tell you who one of them was, and I know who the 
other was also. 

I came with backward glance, my heart behind me. 

(203) 



204 THE LIFE °F CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Through mists of tears I reviewed the joyous years. It 
was a great change, and cost prodigious resolution. 

Do you ask how the change came to be made ? My 
letter of acceptance to your call expressed the convic- 
tion of my heart in that important turning-point in my 
life. I believed that your call was God's voice to me. 

I shall never forget the fire in the grate in one of your 
homes, which shed its cheerful greeting on the cold and 
bleak night of my arrival. I shall never forget the gen- 
erous welcome there extended, and unfailing through 
weary days of sickness. It was an omen of good and a 
symbol of many heart-fires burning here for Christ in 
these Christian homes, which have never smouldered 
nor grown cold during all these years. " I was a stranger 
and ye took me in ; I was sick and ye visited me." 

As Gideon's army was made to lap the water before 
victory was accorded, so God saw fit to cast me down at 
the very outset by illness, that I might enter into this 
vineyard through a very lowly gate, and begin the work 
with a most absolute and complete dependence on God. 
I trust we did so begin it. 

The gloomy and lonesome days did not last long. So 
hearty and cordial was the welcome you gave, so con- 
stant and untiring was your kindness, so large-hearted 
and self-sacrificing was your devotion to this church, so 
watchful and active were you in behalf of the general in- 
terests of Christ's cause and kingdom in this great field 
of the West, that soon the deep waters were passed. I 
rose up into strength and courage and hope. I did not 
fulfill all the appointed days for mourning before I was 
led into rejoicing through God's manifest presence and 
blessing. 

Mr. Goodell's illness lasted about three weeks. He 
recovered from it in season to take a part in the exercises 
of dedication for the new church, which was finished 



FIRST YEAR IN ST. LOUIS. 2C>5 

and dedicated on Forefathers' Day, December 22, 1872. 
At about the same time he moved into the house, No. 
3006 Pine Street, which was his home in St. Louis for 
the remainder of his life. 

The Pilgrim Church, St. Louis, when Dr. Goodell 
became its pastor, had been in existence about six years. 
He was its third pastor. In its previous history, it had 
passed through trials and vicissitudes that had tested 
and sifted it till it had become a Gideon's band — small 
but select. There were in it men and women of strong 
faith, firm resolution, and consecrated hearts. Such 
people never fail if they have a fair opportunity. They 
had an excellent opportunity. " They saw the need ; 
they saw the hour, and they struck ; and God added His 
blessing" after some trials and discouragements had 
proved them worthy. At "N[r. Goodell's coming, the 
success of their enterprise was still somewhat dubious. 
At least it was not then so complete that the work 
offered him was an easy one. He says afterward, " It 
was a heavy load to be taken up and carried through 
to certain success. True, the audience-room was at- 
tractive ; the location of the church was fine ; the little 
band of men and women engaged in it was loyal and 
determined, and the general promise good. But there 
was a heavy debt on the property ; the building was far 
from being finished, and the membership small." 

The very largeness of the plan which had been con- 
ceived by the founders of the church, and the largeness 
of their purpose, made it no holiday work for either 
pastor or people. They had planned in anticipation of 
the needs of future years rather than for the present. 
They had purposed to meet those needs by building a 
house of worship that was larger than they required at 
the time. The resident membership of the church was 



206 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

only 92 persons, and the whole congregation seemed 
but a handful. 

" There were three things," says Dr. Goodell, " that 
must be done, without which the whole enterprise 
would be a failure. 

" The first thing to be done was to secure the pres- 
ence and indwelling of God in this temple, so that 
Christians should be enlarged, so that souls should be 
redeemed, and all the people made to feel that God had 
come to His temple, and owned it and blessed it, and 
made it as a gate of light for the comfort and good of 
men. 

" The second thing to be done was to draw in the peo- 
ple who were without a church home, and add to the 
strength and working force of the church, so that the 
great labors of the few could be shared by the many, 
and all the posts of duty be filled. An important 
church work cannot be carried on without people. There 
is no blessing on empty pews. 

" The third thing to be done was to finish the church 
for comfort and convenience and use, and pay the debts 
on it, which, unpaid, would soon sink it. 

" This was the task. Many things might be done, but 
if this was left undone the church could not succeed. 
Many things might be left undone, but if this was done 
other interests would come right in their time." 

It maybe affirmed that the "task" thus definitely 
stated by him was not all that he contemplated doing. 
It should be augmented by additions. He was not 
a man to be satisfied with building up his own one 
church, even though it attained the greatest prosper- 
ity. He wished to see it the mother of churches 
that should spring up around her in different parts of 
the city, born into life and nourished into self-support- 



FIRST YEAR IN ST. LOUIS. 20y 

ing strength through her zeal and self-sacrifices for the 
Gospel. 

He believed that Congregationalism was well adapted 
to other soils besides that of New England ; that it 
would thrive as well in the West or the South, or 
wherever men needing the Gospel are found. "Are we 
a church of God," he asked, "and set to save a few New 
England people, and their children, and stop there ? 
No ; we are to seek and save all men of every nation 
and kindred and tongue under the heavens. We bear 
the whole cross of Christ, and are to work, not for a 
class, but for the world ; to aim at anything less is to be 
unworthy of the Lord that bought us." These ideas, 
which were to flame up in a blaze of eloquence years 
later in his remarkable address at Chicago, on Fore- 
fathers' Day in 1885, just before his death, were in his 
mind at the time we are speaking of. He brought 
them from the East to his new field at the West, and 
his heart burned to prove their truth. He desired and 
was resolved to labor to sow the whole Southwest with 
Congregational churches. And that these churches 
might have an educated ministry, for which they should 
not be dependent on the schools of the East, he took 
up with enthusiasm, at the very beginning of his min- 
istry in St. Louis, as President Morrison will tell us 
later, the work of establishing in Southwest Missouri a 
Congregational Christian College. 

This was his " task," more or less clearly held in mind 
as he then faced the future. 

This task, stupendous under the most favorable cir- 
cumstances, was much enhanced by the nature of his 
field of labor. Since Dr. Goodell first went to St. Louis, 
its religious character has changed for the better. What 
it was then — "how hard a city to do Christian work 



208 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

in," the following description given to his former flock 
in New Britain, after he had been in St. Louis a short 
time, clearly sets forth : 

St. Louis is a great and a wicked city. God's day has 
been dishonored, His law been disregarded in legisla- 
tion, and His Word been banished from the public 
schools. The city is in that belt with Washington and 
Cincinnati, which is marked by moral inertia, and is 
much behind the northern tier of cities in spiritual tone. 

St. Louis was planted by French Romanists, and the 
Romish Church still holds great wealth and a third of 
the population. Another third of the population is Ger- 
man, with infidel tendencies. The last third only is 
Christian Protestant ; although this embraces much of 
the enterprise and intelligence and controlling influence 
of the city. But this element is divided up into fifteen 
or twenty different sects, and each of these sects is again 
unfortunately divided and subdivided by internal antago- 
nisms and ruptures. 

A work of such vastness, amid such an environment, 
required not only rare abilities, but a rare and peculiar 
nature. A soul of large faith and hope, and invincible 
patience and courage, was demanded, that it might not 
sink down in despair before the seeming impossibility. 
His was a soul of such rare qualities. To him, more 
than to any other man of like eminence among his co- 
temporaries, we may apply the poet's lines : 

" Thine was the prophet's vision, thine 
The exultation, the divine 
Insanity of noble minds, 
That never falters nor abates, 
But labors and endures and waits, 
Till all that it foresees it finds, 
Or what it cannot find creates." 



FIRST YEAR IN ST. LOUIS. 200, 

In his steadfast pursuit of his work he was charac- 
terized by an unfailing good-nature. Vexations and 
exasperating things did not once disturb the equanim- 
ity and sweetness of his spirit. There must have been 
many and constant annoyances. Coming from "the 
Land of Steady Habits," from orderly, religious New 
England, as it then was, to a city where the Lord's day 
was openly desecrated, and every form of wickedness 
and impiety abounded, it could not have been other- 
wise. Sights and sounds continually assailed both eyes 
and ears which would have extorted from a less self- 
restrained person continual objurgation. He bore ev- 
erything with unruffled serenity. 

The following incident, which occurred in the early 
part of his St. Louis ministry, during the first year, 
illustrates his imperturbable good-nature. 

He was addressing the Sunday-school one Sabbath 
day at the noon hour, when he was interrupted and his 
voice almost drowned by the loud ringing of a milk- 
man's bell just outside the chapel windows. He paused 
a moment until the ringing had ceased ; and then with- 
out the least sign of impatience or annoyance, said : 
" There is that bell again ! I heard it the first Sunday 
I came into this chapel, and have heard it every Sunday 
since. But God bless the bell and the man that rings 
it, and make him an honest milkman ; and may he de- 
sire the sincere milk of the Word "; and then proceeded 
in his address, which the noisy clangor had interrupted. 
The effect of the little parenthetical speech was most 
happy. The people never forgot it. It was an example 
of incorruptible sweetness and patience under provoca- 
tion which did them good. It suggested the right way 
of dealing with the heathenism and religious indiffer- 
ence about them. If they conquered it, it must be 



210 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

done in the spirit and manner of Him who said, " Being 
reviled, we bless ; being persecuted, we endure ; being 
defamed, we entreat." 

The first thing deemed requisite, viz., the presence of 
God in converting and saving power, was earnestly 
sought and soon obtained. Before they had advanced 
far into the new year, the church and pastor were re- 
joicing over souls converted, and many gratifying tokens 
of an awakened religious interest. The attendance at 
the prayer-meetings increased, and the Holy Spirit's 
presence there, with quickening power, was recognized. 

In everything the pastor proposed or attempted, he 
found his church in the main sympathetic, responsive, 
and ready to co-operate with him. Neither he nor they 
spared themselves. " It is a hard city to do Christian 
work in," he once said, " but a good people to do work 
among, and an opportunity for laying foundations such 
as can come only once in centuries. Christ has not ap- 
pointed us to a service where we may save our strength, 
but save souls." 

It may be said that God favored him by His Provi- 
dence in many ways. He was favored by the loca- 
tion of his church in the new and rapidly growing 
portion of St. Louis, where it stood. The population 
to be drawn to it, instead of moving away from the 
church, was then rapidly moving toward it. The char- 
acter of this population was favorable to the enterprise. 
It was composed of a good, intelligent class of people. 
A large proportion of them were from New England, 
or of New England descent. They were friendly to the 
polity and faith of Pilgrim Church. They valued God's 
house for themselves and their families. If not previ- 
ously in the habit of attending church, their early edu- 
cation and their family traditions were in favor of it. 






FIRST YEAR IN ST. LOUIS. 211 

It was a prosperous class of people, able to contribute 
liberally, if they chose to do so, to those Christian 
enterprises the new pastor wished to advance. 

He was graciously favored personally in the improved 
health of Mrs. Goodell, who soon after their settlement 
in St. Louis began rapidly to amend. This removed a 
great load of anxiety from his heart. It was also of 
great advantage to him to have her more active assist- 
ance in his work, thus allowed. 

The next letter, to one of his intimate friends in New 
Britain, Mr. Charles Peck, describes the religious in- 
terest in Pilgrim Church during that first winter of his 
pastorate in St. Louis. How quickening its devotional 

warmth is ! 

St. Louis, April 30, 1873. 

My dear Friend : — I rejoice that you have so soon 
found another pastor. I feel that your harmony in all 
church matters, and progress in good things since I left, 
reflects honor on me and on the cause of Christ. 

God has preciously filled my hands full here of late, 
and I am having the unspeakable joy of passing through 
just such scenes in leading souls to Christ as we saw so 
often in the beloved South Church. The ice is all break- 
ing up in the hearts of the people, and the church is 
filled with singing and joy and hope. Thirty-two are 
to be added next Sunday to the church, and the people 
are preparing to decorate the church with flowers. God's 
love seems to be abroad among us in tender power, and the 
hearts of the people are melted as by the soft, spring 
rains. My heart in these days is like an altar on which 
gratitude rises like incense to God day and night. I 
have forgotten about my own health lately, and I pre- 
sume I am very well. I ought to be. We do not forget 
you and your dear family and all that concerns you. 
God is good, His love is like the deep sea, and His voice 



212 THE LIFE OF COXSTAXS L. GOODELL. 

along the hills and in the skies is like the voice of sing- 
ing ; and it is a privilege beyond all price to know Him 
and live for Him and be spent for Him. 

I might say to you many things, but I send you, mv 
dear friend, this one thing — the love, the precious love of 
God. 

Ever yours, C. L. Goodell. 

Mr. Goodell was not formally installed the pastor of 
Pilgrim Church until June 5, 1873 — six months after 
he had entered upon his labors with them. During 
those months he had given full proof of his fitness for 
the work to which he had been called, and satisfied his 
people that they had made a happy choice in calling 
him to be their pastor. In fact, those months of pre- 
liminary trial (for such they may be called, whether he 
was on trial with the church, or the church was on trial 
with him) seemed to have confirmed the belief and the 
hope expressed in his remarkable letter of acceptance : 
the belief that their call was God's voice to him ; the 
hope, that his ministry might be the voice of God to 
them. 

On the following Sabbath he preached an appropri- 
ate sermon on Acts x. 29, in which this interesting 
passage is found : 

It seems like a dream to me that my home is now on the far- 
ther banks of the great river, twelve hundred miles from the 
altar fires of my fathers and the Sabbath bells of my boyhood. 
I little thought it would be given to me to aid in setting up the 
monuments of the Puritans across the continent, and to assist 
in bearing to the outer sea the blazing torch of liberty and civ- 
ilization and religion, which they lighted at the sun. 

In the early history of Boston, the selectmen of the town re- 
ported that they had laid out a road to Newton, twelve miles 
west, probably as far as a highway would ever be needed in that 



FIRST YEAR IN ST. LOUIS. 213 

direction. A few years after, a party of men and women, organ- 
ized into a church, journeyed through the wilderness past 
Springfield to Hartford, and founded a colony there. It took 
them twelve days, and it was the very outpost of Western civ- 
ilization. The star of empire seemed to set in the Connecticut. 

In the early part of this century, my father, a Massachusetts 
man, journeyed West on foot and by stage-coach and canal- 
boat, and after three weeks of ardent travel came to Rochester, 
New York, as far as any footprints had been made on these 
Western sands of time. But it made him dizzy to think of the 
distance he had travelled, and he hurried back to the shadows 
of Bunker Hill. 

In view of such facts, I may well be permitted to feel that I 
have come a long way to you. But in losing my home I have 
found it again. The things that made it precious there I meet 
on every hand to endear it here. The Athenian youths met 
beneath the Acropolis, and pledged themselves that wherever 
the vine and the olive grew, and the barley harvest waved, there 
was Greece. So with myself: wherever the school-house is, 
and the church and the Christian household, there is home. 

This is home to me to-day. After six months the clouds have 
lifted. I draw heart and life at every inspiration. I feel as if 
my foot were on my native heath. I already have a fever for 
this great West, although I have no Western fever. My inter- 
est in every good thing here has constantly increased without 
experiencing a chill. I have become a Western man as well as 
Eastern. You should hear me discourse on the religious wants 
and hopes of the great Mississippi valley ! I may yet get the 
central doctrine of every man's creed who lives five years in this 
Western world, that all the universe revolves about the very- 
hamlet wherein he has located his corner lot. 

It is this faith in the future which is one of the best hopes 
of the West. Sad for a nation when its greatest things are be- 
hind it, and it points to the bones of its forefathers as its treas- 
ure rather than to the inheritance it is bound to achieve for its 
children. When we lose faith in ourselves, and in the grandeur 
of the work we are called to do, we become hirelings. 

I desire to express a gratitude to you, deeper than words, for 
all that you have been to me in this critical turning-point in 
our history. You have made our transition from the banks of 



214 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

the Connecticut to that of the Mississippi like the journey of 
Peter from Joppa to Caesarea, a happy pilgrimage of sacred 
service lor the Almighty Father. Already is every interest of 
yours dear to me, and nothing that concerns your good is with- 
out interest to me. For your sake I will like this city and live 
in it, and not shake off its dust from my feet. I will even find 
some good in its coal smoke. Its clouded water has already 
become like paper currency, rather more attractive on the whole 
than the real coin. Where a man's mission is, and where God 
is with His blessing, there a man's heart is. He becomes ad- 
justed to his surroundings. He sees and delights in the good 
there is, and it becomes home to him. It seems surprising 
when I think of it, that I could become so much interested in 
this church, and so identified with Christian work here in so 
short a time. I seem to have known you longer. 

To W. H. Smith, Esq., New Britain, Ct., he writes : 

June 16, 1873. 

My health is very good now, only I am tired. I felt 
after the severe tax on my nerves last year at New 
Britain in going through with so many in their re- 
ligious experience, that I needed a year of rest to take 
me back to my old strength. Nothing wears one like 
prolonged deep feeling. But this winter and spring 
have found me quite as much occupied in the same way, 
and yet I have been made equal to my day, and the work 
grows more precious as the years go on. I believe that 
when we wait on the Lord our strength is renewed like 
the eagle's. God has permitted me to see more good 
here thus early than I dared to hope. The Lord is good. 
He is our Keeper, and He that keepeth us will never 
slumber. 

I thank you for the suggestion that we may be shel- 
tered by your roof when we come to New Britain. We 
know there will be welcome and rest and cheer there, 
and we will gladly avail ourselves of it for a little if all 



FIRST YEAR IN ST. LOUIS. 21 $ 

is well. Mrs. Goodell joins me in very kind regards to 
the household. 

Very truly, the Ex-Pastor. 

During this first year of his pastorate one hundred 
and three persons were added to the Pilgrim Church. 
Thus its active resident membership was more than 
doubled in that brief time. 

The foregoing letter, written a fortnight before his 
annual vacation, reveals signs of weariness and a need 
of rest. He was " tired " from the exhausting labors 
of the two previous years. He set forth his need of 
rest, and justified the right which all toilers with the 
brain like himself have to an occasional vacation, in an 
admirable sermon, preached in the evening of the Sab- 
bath preceding his departure for New England, whither 
he went for the vacation of 1873 : 

Leisure is needed to fill the mind that is emptied by 
incessant giving out. The mind is a reservoir that fills 
slowly, but is rapidly discharged. The intellect is like 
a liberal man : the more he gives, the more he delights 
in giving. But he cannot always be dealing out even to 
the best objects. He can part with more money in a 
week than he can earn in a year. There must be seasons 
of gain in order to generous giving. 

Some of the rarest stores of thought open only to the 
mind that has leisure to unlock them. They will not 
open under hurried pressure. There are truths that will 
not give themselves except to the heart that is quiet and 
restful. There are priceless views of the kingdom of 
God and His righteousness that yield their exquisite 
grace and charm only in that atmosphere which the 
heart in its leisure diffuses. 

Work that is hurried is often good, very good. It has 
vigor and force, grasp and fire. It is apt, however, to be 



2l6 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

feverish and one-sided, crude and inadequate. Pos- 
sessing certain elements that are valuable to stir the 
soul, it is liable also to lack those that are equally essen- 
tial, — completeness, repose, fineness of flavor, wide out- 
look, and calm, sustained power. 

Man must have leisure, or some germs of surpassing 
fineness and beauty in him will never ripen, and the 
most delicate flavors he is capable of will fail to appear. 
The great poems were never hurried; they carry an atmos- 
phere of infinite repose. The masterpieces of art have 
taken their fullness of power and flush of beauty from 
the long accumulations of the natures that produced 
them. Their fine play of light and shade comes out of 
restful souls. 

If we would comprehend the great problems of life 
and destiny, of faith and duty, we must walk about them 
in times of leisure, coming upon them in the calm of 
thought at every angle. When the soul is abroad in 
such leisure, truth, wary and shy in presence of haste 
and worry, makes her most glorious revealings. If I 
owe much to work, much also to periods of rest. Dream- 
ing among the clustered columns and lofty arches of 
Salisbury Cathedral, 'midst summer days of June, in 
utter idleness and rest, I saw, as I never had in all the 
books, that God is a Spirit, and that they that worship 
Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. 

Sitting in the public gardens in the city of Milan, under 
the crystalline skies of Italy, with the imperial Alps rising 
like a majestic sky-wall to the north, one October morn- 
ing, God gave me some of the best lines of thought I have 
ever unfolded. I have given some of them to you, as 
doves that had flocked to my windows. You knew not 
whence they came, but I recognized the gleam of Italian 
sunrisings in their wings. 

I believe in work ; no man more. But I believe also 
in leisure, and make my plea for it. Friends beloved, 



FIRST YEAR IN ST. LOUIS. 21 J 

you are not idle when you sit under a tree watching the 
moving shadows and the soft light glinting through. 
You are not idle when you hold your little child on your 
knee, or play with the older ones on the lawn. You are 
not idle when you drive out with your family to take 
the fragrant earthy breath of nature. It is good in- 
deed to make hay while the sun shines, but there is 
something to be made out of sunshine besides hay for 
donkeys, else the donkeys only will have the benefit of 
the sunshine. While the sun shines snatch moments to 
weave its joy and cheer and hope into your own souL 
Make spiritual character as well as hay. Enrich your 
life with love and faith and holy communing. Gather 
perfume to shed in your home, to gladden the hearts of 
childhood, to rejoice the soul of friendship. 

Now again I hear the voice of the Lord saying : 
" Come ye apart into a desert place and rest awhile." 1 
propose to depart privately, to come again, please God,, 
with new heart and hope for my delightful service 
among you. 

In his vacation he visited New Britain, and refreshed 
himself with the sight of his former people, in whose 
homes he found a warm welcome and a cordial hos- 
pitality, so far as he was able to accept their invitations 
to enjoy it. 

A touching incident marked this visit. He was told 
that a sick, little English girl was anxious to see him, 
as "the only pastor she ever knew." He promptly 
called at her home. It was a humble home, with bare 
walls and floors and plain, cheap furniture, though 
everything was sweet and clean. Seated in an arm-chair, 
where she had found her only resting-place for many a 
weary day and night, the sick girl welcomed her pastor 
with a face radiant with joy. The cold drops on her 
10 



2lS THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

brow, the labored breathing and glassy eye told that 
her rest was near. He sat down beside her and told 
her in his own gentle, inimitable way, of Jesus and His 
love, repeating precious promises of hope and trust. 
He then, at her request, prayed with her in a way so 
real and so appropriate to her dying state, that those 
who were present almost fancied that they could see 
the gates of "Jerusalem, the Golden," roll back to let 
the little child in. Such ministries were always a joy 
to him. He felt that every sick-room like that was a 
holy place, and most dear in the sight of heaven. To 
his thought angels were there, and the beginnings of 
heaven. 

Besides New Britain, St. Johnsbury and other " quiet 
resting-places" were visited during that vacation. He 
anticipated for the next year a great work, and he sought 
to prepare himself by rest and recuperation for it. 

In the autumn after his return, the church un- 
dertook and carried on to completion an important 
improvement in their house of worship, made neces- 
sary by the growth of its work during the previous 
year. This was the alteration and enlargement of their 
chapel, built in 1866. Originally of brick, and with 
one story only, it was now adorned with a stone front, 
and carried up to a second story, so as to be in harmony 
with the church to which it was attached. It was thus 
enlarged so as to contain sewing-rooms and parlors, and 
other conveniences of a modern church, happily fitted 
up for the uses of the congregation. This improve- 
ment, made at a cost exceeding $13,000, was completed 
and dedicated January 21, 1874. It was much enjoyed, 
and of great service in the meetings of that winter. 



XI. 

A YEAR OF BLESSING 
1873— 1875. 



"Another year of progress. 
Another year of praise ; 
Another year of proving 
Thy presence 'all the days." 

" Another year ot service, 
Of witness of Thy love ; 
Another year of training 
For holier work above." 

— Havergal. 

The weapons which your hands have found 
Are those which Heaven itself has wrought — 
Light, Truth, and Love." 

— J. G. Whittier. 



CHAPTER XL 

EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE REVIVAL— ENLARGEMENT OF 
THE CHURCH. 

SOON after his return to St. Louis in September, 1873, 
at his instance mainly, an Alliance of the Evangelical 
Churches of the city was formed for the promotion 
of Christian fellowship, and to secure more effective 
union in religious work. Mr. Goodell was led to use 
his efforts to form such an association because, during 
the previous year, he had felt " a sense of loneliness 
and the need of sympathy and co-operation in spiritual 
work." 

We have from his own hand an interesting account 
of the good results attending the formation of the Alli- 
ance. It had no small share in producing the great 
religious work of that winter. He says: 

The meetings of this body from week to week, includ- 
ing a large number of able and earnest ministers, were 
very fraternal and quickening. Soon an association was 
organized to promote a better observance of the Sabbath. 
Union meetings of great interest and profit were held 
all over the city, and Christians and pastors were for 
the first time brought face to face and hand to hand in 
doing the work of the Lord. Men began to taste the 
sweets of Christian fellowship and union, and they said, 
" It is blessed." Everybody felt something new had come 
to St. Louis. It was as if an alabaster box of precious oint- 
ment had been broken here, and the odor was filling the 
air. Prayer-meetings increased in interest. The Lord's 

(221) 



222 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

people grew tender, and spake often one to another. A 
series of meetings was held daily at central points for 
three weeks, presided over by different pastors. These 
gatherings were large, and people lingered to say to 
each other : " It is good to be here." It was plain to all 
that the Lord was nearing the city. 

" We heard the solemn steps and sweet 
Of the Saviour's coming feet." 

Encouraged by these favorable tokens of a revival of 
religion in the city, it was decided to employ further 
active means for its advancement. On the first day of 
the new year, January i, 1874, seven pastors united in 
sending an invitation to Rev. E. P. Hammond, the 
evangelist, to come to the city and hold union meet- 
ings. The large hall of the Mercantile Library Asso- 
ciation — located in the lower part of the city, in the 
centre of business, and where the forces of worldliness 
were strongly massed — was engaged for the purpose, 
and other means calculated to ensure success adopted. 
The pastor of the Pilgrim Church labored especially to 
prepare the hearts of his people for the coming of the 
Lord. His sermons on the first Sabbath of the year 
were very earnest and awakening, and his plans for the 
observance of the " Week of Prayer " wisely formed. 
In giving the notices for the week from the pulpit 
that Sabbath morning, he invited all who came to the 
prayer-meeting the next Monday evening to bring a text 
of Scripture which should be a motto for the new year, 
with any words of their own they might choose to add. 
The people responded to the suggestion, and the re- 
sult was a meeting long remembered for its interest 
and spiritual power. During the hour over sixty mot- 
toes were given, a considerable number of them accom- 



EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE REVIVAL. 223 

panied by pertinent remarks and worthy resolves. The 
week thus begun grew in religious interest and solem- 
nity to its close. 

Soon Mr. Hammond made a favorable reply to the 
invitation sent him, and promptly came to St. Louis 
and entered upon his work. More than thirty minis- 
ters of various denominations, and a large number of 
active Christians from their churches, agreed to work 
with him. In the weeks that followed they prayed 
and labored together with all their hearts, looking to 
God for the increase, and He gave it forthwith without 
stint. At the very first meeting led by Mr. Hammond, 
which was for children Saturday afternoon, there was 
a baptism from on high. 

The plan of work adopted and carried out was to 
have the one large central meeting in Mercantile Li- 
brary Hall, under the direction of Mr. Hammond, and 
open smaller meetings in different parts of the city as 
the interest spread. Between the large meeting and 
the smaller ones there was a close and vital connection. 
They acted and reacted on each other as the religious 
sentiment in the city deepened. Hundreds of Chris- 
tian workers were scattered abroad through the city 
preaching the Word. Ladies' prayer-meetings were 
held every afternoon in private houses, and general 
prayer-meetings in the evenings in the churches. The 
central meeting increased steadily in numbers and 
power for several weeks, and the outlying scattered 
meetings kept pace with it. At the end of the fourth 
week in the progress of the work, Mr. Goodell wrote in 
regard to it as follows : 

All the Sabbath-schools and churches are stirred as 
never before in the history of the city. The neighboring 



224 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

towns and cities have caught the holy fire, and in all this 
region the cross is lifted up and the Lord Jesus Christ 
is exalted in the earth. 

Last night 3,000 men crowded to the utmost the large 
hall to hear Mr. Hammond, the ladies being excluded 
to make room for clerks, boatmen, letter-carriers, rail- 
road men, and others* unable to come by day. A church 
near by was filled with wives and mothers in prayer. 
The meeting in the great hall was one of profound in- 
terest. The Word of God was mighty. Almost the 
entire multitude arose for prayers, and lingered as if 
chained to the place till 11 o'clock and after for personal 
conversation. Gray-haired pastors declared with tears 
that they had never witnessed such manifestations of 
divine power before. It is the first revival which has 
ever moved and melted the whole city. It has been 
feared that such a blessing would never come on account 
of the great obstacles without and the diversity of feel- 
ing within the Christian ranks. 

The work spreads in every direction and reaches to 
all classes. Wealthy merchants and business men, alike 
with gamblers and infidels and outcasts, throng the 
places of prayer and ask the way of life. Thirty or forty 
ministers are daily engaged in the meetings. A large 
committee of laymen from the various churches perform 
the outside work incident to the convening and handling 
of such numbers of people. Money is freely given for 
printing and hall-renting and singing-books, and the 
many necessary expenses. Christian homes are freely 
opened to those who come from the wide regions round 
about to receive and carry back the blessing. 

A month later he writes again in the following ex- 
alted, jubilant strain: 

I am sitting in the gates of light and permitted to 
share in the most remarkable work of grace I ever saw. 



EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE REVIVAL. 225 

After eight weeks of earnest union effort by the churches, 
under the lead of Rev. E. P. Hammond, the evangelist, 
there is no indication either of God's hiding His face 
from us or of souls ceasing to seek the great salvation. 
The cry goes ringing down the advancing lines of God's 
hosts : St. Louis at last for Christ. 

Over two hundred union meetings have been held, 
those in the morning during business hours always 
crowded as well as those in the evening. Two thousand 
five hundred and more have signed the covenant to be 
the Lord's, and this is only a small portion of those that 
have been converted. From the first the work has con- 
tinued silent, deep, and powerful, and entirely free from 
any excess. The prayer of yesterday is answered to-day. 
The doctrines of the cross are uttered, and straightway 
the soul cries out, " What shall I do to be saved ? " 

A business man is strongly entrenched in worldliness 
to-day ; to-morrow he says, " Sir, we would see Jesus "; 
and the next day he has sought his neighbor. All past 
enmity is reconciled, and they are kneeling together at 
the foot of the cross. How soon God, by His power, 
can change the whole moral aspect of a community, and 
direct into new channels the currents of thought and 
feeling and activity. Every Christian here feels that a 
surprising advance, which must be permanent, has been 
made in the spiritual tone of this city. I was present at 
the great Opera House last night, and saw the 4,500 
people gathered there listening with rapt and tearful 
interest, hour after hour, to the plainest Gospel truths 
from the lips of Mr. Hammond, whom God has made a 
pillar of light and power in all this work ; another 
preacher speaking at the same time to 2,000 people in 
the street, who could not gain admittance inside. As I 
saw the 2,600, at least, rise to express their determination 
to become Christians, and as I worked until after eleven 
o'clock in the parquette among strong men bowed down 
10* 



226 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

in conviction of sin, and anxious for the salvation of 
their souls, and heard the joyous and triumphant con- 
fession of deliverance and pardon through the power of 
redeeming love ; and from eyes unused to tears, read the 
story of a new-found hope in the blessed Jesus, the 
thought came to me again and again : Eternity alone 
will reveal the extent and blessedness of this work. 

To Mr. Charles Peck, of New Britain, he writes : 

March 24, 1874. 

My dear Mr. Peck : — Your handwriting looked good, 
and the ring of the sentiment of your letter was music 
to me. I should like to get hold of that hand, and hear 
from your own lips the words you would speak, and I 
should like to hear you sing " St. Martins " in particular. 
Your letter reached me on my birthday. I thank you 
for every kind wish and thought you expressed, and 
there is no good thing which I do not desire for you 
and yours. This winter has been like a New England 
April — month after month just charming. Mrs. G. has 
got through the winter without a single trial of the old 
kind. It has come about just as Dr. Peaselee and Dr. 
Bowditch said, and we are very grateful. I believe in 
good physicians, and we praise God more than climate 
or physician, for He is the Great Physician. 

I have lived forty-four winters, but this one is the 
most blessed and wonderful of my life. I never learned 
so much of God ; never experienced so much of His joy 
and peace and fullness, and never saw so much of His 
goodness and grace and wonder-working power. I can- 
not write it. If I could see you I could tell it — yet only 
a little of what we have enjoyed. O the amazing good- 
ness of God ! O the love — the sweet and tender love of 
Jesus ! O the joy and peace in the Holy Spirit ! Of 
His fullness are all we made partakers. Such scenes 



EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE REVIVAL. 227 

can never die out of my memory, and eternity will be 
more to me because of what God has revealed and 
wrought among us this winter. I am so grateful that I 
have been permitted to be a sharer in these scenes. For 
eleven weeks I have been incessantly engaged from 
breakfast until eleven and twelve o'clock at night, and 
am busier now than ever, leading souls to Christ — men, 
women, and children — all classes and ages. God has 
given me strength equal to the day. Such experiences 
of sin as I have seen on the one hand, and of pardoning 
and redeeming grace on the other, I never witnessed till 
now. Such instances of God's power to save unto the 
uttermost ! God will have new and fresh glory in 
Heaven on account of what He has accomplished in St. 
Louis this winter ! . . . . 

Tell Mrs. Davis (Mr. P.'s mother-in-law) I have so 
longed to have her here to enjoy this work. She gave 
me a promise on the sidewalk one Saturday afternoon 
which has been a daily help to me in the toils of this 
winter : " As thy days so shall thy strength be." And 
so has it been in the midst of all this exhausting work. 

Give our kindest regards to her and to Mrs. Peck, and 
to each one of the children. I wish you could have been 
here last Sunday. 

Yours truly, C. L. Goodell. 

The great revival, described in the foregoing letters, 
lasted until June, a period of five months. From the 
fruits of it, one hundred and fifty-five persons were 
added to the membership of Pilgrim Church. 

In August of this year, during his summer vacation, 
he received, in recognition of his ministerial ability, the 
honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from his Alma 
Mater, the University of Vermont. Henceforth we 
shall speak of him under this honorary title. As was 



228 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

said by one of the speakers at his funeral, " In all the 
land there was but one Dr. Goodell." 

His advent to the pastorate of Pilgrim Church was 
followed by a great and immediate enlargement of its 
benevolent contributions. At his touch, every languish- 
ing, dying work was quickened to renewed life and 
vigor. The most tightly-closed pocket-books felt the 
power of his appeals, and opened their treasures to the 
causes for which he pleaded. 

In his labors to build up his church he was remark- 
ably successful in winning men to Christ, especially 
young men. The great preponderance of women in 
our churches — the fact that two-thirds, and often 
three-fourths, of their membership are women, awak- 
ened him to thoughtful solicitude and inquiry. He 
realized the importance of strenuous efforts to bring in 
men. He sought out the reasons that held them aloof 
from the church, and he endeavored to remove them. 
He first strove to commend himself to every man's 
conscience in the sight of God as a true embodiment 
of the Christian religion. He won their respect by his 
manly qualities. He showed them, in his own person, 
that to be a Christian was to fill out the ideal of chiv- 
alry, and that in inviting them to be the disciples of 
Christ, he asked them not to be effeminate, but to be 
like the Knights of the Round Table who bound them- 
selves 

" To break the heathen and uphold the church, 
To ride abroad redressing human wrongs, 
To speak no slander, nor listen to it, 
To lead sweet lives in purest chastity, 
To teach high thought, and amiable words, 
And courtliness, and the desire of fame, 
And love of truth, and all that ?nakes a man." 



ENLARGEMENT OF THE CHURCH. 229 

He also gave emphasis and prominence to those ele- 
ments of Christian truth too little dwelt upon, which 
especially appeal to and foster the manly virtues. 
Christ was both " the Lamb of God " and " the Lion of 
the tribe of Judah." With the meekness and gentle- 
ness of the one He united the boldness and masterful 
strength of the other. The bruised reed He would not 
break, nor quench the smoking flax, but when wicked 
men profaned the temple with their mercenary traffic, 
He assumed an awful and terrific mien, and drove them 
panic-stricken from it with whip of cords ; and when 
they came out with swords and staves to arrest Him, 
such was the majesty of His demeanor that the most 
brazen-fronted quailed before Him, and the whole 
armed posse fell backward to the ground. 

Both sides of Christ's character need to be dwelt 
upon. If unequal prominence is given to either, the 
truth suffers. The ideal presented is not complete — 
the impression of it is faulty; its influence in the edifi- 
cation of Christian character is not what it is designed 
to be. The apostles, in their writings and characters, 
exhibit the true Christian ideal. They were gentle and 
beneficent toward their fellow-men ; they were also 
bold and unflinching in the performance of duty or in 
the face of danger. 

Dr. Goodell nourished his mind and fashioned his 
conduct by feeding upon all the elements of Christian 
truth. In his preaching and ministry of truth to his 
congregation, he also sought to declare the whole coun- 
sel of God; to commend the heroic and manly traits of 
Christian character, as well as the gentle and submis- 
sive ones. " Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever 
things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, what- 
soever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, 



230 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any 
virtue, and if there be any praise" he exhorted his 
hearers to take account of them. 

A memorable instance, illustrating the emphasis he 
gave to the masculine side of Christian truth, and in 
such a way as never can be forgotten by his people, oc- 
curred a short time previous to his removal from them. 
It was when, only a month before he died, he gave 
them as a watchword or motto for the year, the words 
of the Apostle Paul, 1 Cor. xvi. 13: "Watch ye, stand 
fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." 

His personal character and preaching were not only 
fitted to win men, but his pastoral zeal also. He was 
strenuous to bring them to Christ, and to a confession 
of their faith by uniting with His Church. There were 
men in his congregation who had sat for years in other 
churches and heard the invitations of the Gospel 
without heeding them. It was the testimony of 
some of them that the preachers who had addressed 
to them these invitations in public never had followed 
them up by any private appeal. Coming under the 
ministry of Dr. Goodell, they soon realized that they 
were under the care of a pastor of more earnest spirit. 
To his pulpit exhortations he added private entreat- 
ies, and to private entreaties earnest, affectionate let- 
ters, beseeching them no longer to postpone their 
acceptance of Christ, or the confession of Him as their 
Saviour. 

The following letter is a good example. The person 
to whom it was addressed soon after yielded to the pas- 
tor's persuasion by making a public profession of faith, 
and he is now one of the officers of Pilgrim Church. 
How full of wisdom, ardor, and tender appeal the let- 
ter is ! 



ENLARGEMENT OF THE CHURCH. 23 1 

St. Louis, Dec. 22, 1875. 

My dear Mr. S. : — The years are running on, and we 
do not know how many remain for us. Why is not the 
New Year, close at hand, the time for you to enter into 
the fold of Christ, where He has invited all to come who 
love Him, and own Him as Lord, and call Him Saviour? 

It would discharge a solemn duty we all owe Him for 
His sacrifice and suffering for us. It would be a comfort 
and strength to you. It would be a joy to a large circle 
of friends. It would be an example to others for good. 
It would be an inspiration and cheer to the church. It 
would be a joy to the angels. It would be well-pleasing 
to God ; for He rejoices to have His children own and 
confess Him, as we rejoice when our children come to 
us with new purposes of love and obedience and service. 

The kernel of it all is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ 
as the soul's Redeemer and King ; that faith which 
forms the life after divine patterns, and carries it along 
toward all that is pure and good, accepting God's word 
as guide. 

Now as to creed, which I fear has troubled you : 
whatever the Bible fairly teaches, that you want to 
hold ; whatever it does not teach, that no true church of 
Christ will ask any one to profess. Man, a sinner ; 
Christ, an almighty Saviour, come to redeem and bless 
all who will trust Him — these are the fundamental things, 
and all other things are only relative and minor ; and 
the hardest words we have to accept fell from Christ's 
own lips. If you stand here you belong to Christ, and 
have a place in His Church among His people, and at 
His table. 

Come, my dear brother, and take that place. I have 
been greatly drawn to your character. I have felt you 
were coming in these ways ; I long to welcome you 
now. The light of such a step would fall sweetly on all 
our oaths, and most of all on the path of that dear child 



232 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

in your home, for whose good you want all these things 
settled, so that there will be a united home example for 
him in outward form as well as in inward life. 
Pardon my liberty, and believe me, 

Yours in love and respect, 

C. L. Goodell. 

Besides such earnest labors with men to win them to 
Christ and His Church, Dr. Goodell indirectly sought 
the same object by diligent efforts to promote child- 
piety, especially among boys. Make Christians of the 
boys, and soon there will be no lack of Christian men. 
In a memorable article, published in one of our relig- 
ious weeklies, entitled " Two or Three Women to One 
Man in our Churches," he says upon the subject dis- 
cussed : " This is a sad and alarming fact. It reveals 
the false theory upon which churches are working. 
They do not begin with the young, and expect them 
to be brought to Christ and received into His fold. 
They wait till their golden opportunity is past, and the 
boys have lost this best time in their history to begin 
the religious life, because they who have led and taught 
them have thought that it was toft early for them to 
truly give their hearts to Christ, and take His vows 
upon them. So the churches are made up mostly of 
women. The victories of Christianity must be largely 
gained in the hearts of the young. ' Heaven lies about 
us in our infancy.' The delicate susceptibilities of the 
soul to spiritual things soon become hardened by the 
world and lose their power ; . . . . the mind and the 
truths of salvation become dead to each other. The 
world must be saved, if it is saved at all, before it is 

twenty-one We agonize for the salvation of the 

mature portion of our congregation, year after year, 



ENLARGEMENT OF THE CHURCH. 233 

and gain, now and then, one, leaving the young to grow- 
up without Christ and get, likewise, ensnared in the 
bondage of worldliness and sin ; when, should we re- 
verse the effort, and work for the young, and leave the 
old as practically beyond hope, we should save vastly 
more souls with a tithe of the labor. We persist in 
working at the greatest disadvantage. We leave the 
young and tender plants to toughen into thorns and 
briars, and spend most of our time on the autumn 

thistles, which only prick us for our pains When 

converts are gained from these ranks, they not only are 
more difficult to win, but to the end of their days are 
not, as a rule, so active and efficient Christians. You 
can make the most of a man in any line of effort by 
beginning with him young!' 

Dr. Goodell believed that mothers have a great re- 
sponsibility in this matter ; that with them, assisted by 
the ministry and the church working upon a better 
theory as to the time when the young may become 
Christians and be admitted to the church, our hope of 
a change for the better must largely rest. " The Jew- 
ish mothers," he said, " know how to make Jews. They 
seldom fail. They do it at an age so early that the sons 
and daughters alike are held, receiving from the begin- 
ning of their work all the aids of their religious ordi- 
nances. The Catholic mothers know how to make 
Catholics, and they have the help of all the ordinances 
of the church. Why should Protestant mothers have 
less? Why should they fall behind in the success of 
their methods or reach fewer in number? A Catholic 
was asked why he stuck by his faith so firmly? 'The 
ould woman,' he said, ' put it into me round the fire 
when I was a child.' In one generation, the statistics 
could be wonderfully altered from the fatal three-women- 



234 TI1L " life of constats l. GOUDELL. 

to-one-man plan of the present, altered not simply in 
the ratio of the sexes, but in the life and power of the 
churches." 

SABBATH MORNING PETITIONS. 

All night Thou hast brooded us under the shadow of 
Thy w T ings ; and now that the Sabbath day has come, 
give us that inner light which makes the Sabbath bless- 
ed, which brightens all toil, and fits for all duties. Thy 
Sabbath days, O God, are the flower and glory of the 
year. 

These Sabbaths are milestones, each nearer than the 
last to Thee, and to the better country. Since we are 
passing through this world and cannot pause, may we 
seek to learn more of the next, and to be fitted for it. 

May Thy name stir our souls to-day as the name of a 
friend we love. We come hungry, feed us. We come 
thirsty, give us drink. We come in weariness and 
trouble, things have not gone right ; fill us. We bless 
Thee for this day of rest, for the springs that open, the 
shady palms that wave for us in Thy courts. We anchor 
our business ships beside Thy holy day. Our week's 
work is done ; and like weary laborers we desire to come 
home and spend the day with Thee. If, pressed with 
care, we have been fretful and spoken words not good 
this week, forgive us. If, worried and tried, we have 
doubted Thee, forgive. If under temptation we have 
yielded to sin, forgive us. Help us to lay off our care 
and worries upon Thee, and to leave our sins behind us, 
and to go forward. May we not be in the church to-day, 
yet far from Heaven. 

FRAGMENTS FROM HIS SUNDAY EVENING PRAYERS. 

Where the evening star left us, may the morning star 
find us — trusting Thee. 



FRAGMENTS FROM HIS PRAYERS. 235 

Give us the faith that sees Thee, the love that longs 
for Thee, the desire that follows after Thee, and the 
strength that enables us to rejoice in Thy service. 

We lay a thankful heart at Thy feet to-night. We 
long to sing a sweeter song to Thee than we have ever 
sung before, for Thy mercies seem sweeter and more 
precious. 

Thou hast hushed the tumults of earth, that we might 
hear to-day the voices of Heaven. 

Perhaps to-morrow we shall see Thee. The eyes of 
some are saluting Heaven every day. We thank Thee 
that no cloud of earth shall dim our life with Thee. 

Keep open Thy gates for those so slow to come. 

Let dews from above refresh the long week's toil. 

Our joy is not that we hold to Thee so strong, but 
that Thou dost hold us. 

Give all work who are seeking to be useful. 

We praise Thee for Thy Word, and bless Thee that it 
has been spread abroad so that the sun never sets on its 
gleaming pages. 

We bless Thee that we are travelling to that land of 
which Thou hast said, " I will give it thee." May we 
voyage out into still seas. 

O God, Thou art able to bring good out of evil ; hence 
Thou art the One we want in all the hard and bitter pas- 
sages in life. 

Thy day hangs out its banners of peace all along the 
sky, calm as the shadow of the bright cloud which lay 
over the tents of Israel. 

Thy love fills all our souls to-night. Do not make as 
if Thou wouldst go further. Come and abide with us. 



236 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Thy dear love gives both the cross and the crown. 

We are lifted up less by what Thou givest than by 
what Thou takest. 

We thank Thee for home. 

Bless those who bear burdens and go through strug- 
gles each day which try the soul. 



XII. 
THE SOUL'S ANCHORAGE IN STORM. 

1875— 1876. 



One who has known in storms to sail, 

I have on board ; 
Above the raging of the gale 

I hear my Lord." 

— Dean of Canterbury. 



" The life of a conscientious clergyman is not easy I 

do not envy a clergyman's life as an easy life, nor do I envy the 
clergyman who makes it an easy life." — Johnson. 

" So others shall 
Take patience, labor, to their heart and hand, 
From thy hand and thy heart and thy brave cheer, 
And God's grace fructify through thee to all." 

— Mrs. E. B. Browning. 



CHAPTER XII. 

CYCLONE AT SEA — PRAYERS — SUCCESSFUL LABORS — 
ADDRESS BEFORE THE TRIENNIAL CONVENTION 
OF CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES OF ILLINOIS 
AT CHICAGO — BELFRY CHIMES — THOUGHTS FROM 
NOTE-BOOK. 

The different successive years of Dr. Goodell's pas- 
torate in St. Louis were severally marked by some mem- 
orable advance in the spiritual growth or material 
strength of the church. The year 1875 was signalized 
by a determined and successful effort to pay the debt 
of $25,000 by which the Society was burdened. 

This work having been accomplished in the spring, 
Dr. and Mrs. Goodell — both needing rest and recuper- 
ation from the exhausting labors of the preceding four 
years — went abroad for a short trip in the summer. 
They visited England, Scotland, Holland, Belgium, 
Switzerland, Germany, and France, spending some time 
in the principal cities, and among the mountains and 
lakes, experiencing much benefit from the mental re- 
freshment which they found in the scenes visited. 

The most memorable event which occurred on this 
trip abroad was a terrific storm, encountered on the 
homeward voyage, an account of which Dr. Goodell 
afterward published in the Congregationalist, under the 
title of " Outriding a Cyclone at Sea." The account is 
so graphic and interesting that we reproduce here the 
greater part of it : 

(239) 



240 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Returning from Europe in September, 1875, our steam- 
ship was struck in mid-ocean at daybreak by a cyclone. 
The sea had been vexed by autumn gales, and the waves 
contrary for some days. But this black angel spread 
his wings on the water without warning. A cyclone 
moves with the stealth and spring of a panther. The 
shock was sudden, tremendous, awful. The blast of the 
tempest, riding the gulf stream all the way from the 
heated tropics, was like the breath of a fiery furnace. 
It was the same cyclone which damaged Galveston, and 
tearing through the Gulf of Mexico, swept up the At- 
lantic coast and out upon the ocean, spreading wreck 
and death. 

Our iron ship was staunch and well manned ; but the 
first swirl of the whirlwind, travelling in its might like 
a majestic cylinder of fire-storm, stripped a portion of 
the guards and boats from the deck, and carried one of 
the crew into the sea, breaking his leg. He caught a 
stray rope and was rescued. The man at the wheel lost 
control of the vessel for a little, and veering round she 
went into the trough of the sea. The great billows in- 
stantly flooded and submerged her, and the sea- water 
poured down the hatchway and through the skylights 
on the deck like falls of a mill-dam. Those in the saloon 
feeling the roll of the ship, the waves going over her, 
and seeing the green water starred with foam at the 
port-holes, and in the descending cataract within, threat- 
ening to fill every room and cabin in the ship, will never 
forget the scene. This was repeated several times. 

The passengers assembled in the dining-saloon, and 
clung to tables and sofas and chairs round the room, 
which were chained to the floor. It was impossible to 
walk, or sit, or recline, without holding on to some object 
with great firmness. Many were thrown and tossed 
about like footballs, and much injured. For eighteen 
hours this stress of weather was on us. For eighteen 






CYCLONE AT SEA. 24 1 

hours, with few interruptions, I sat on the edge of a sofa, 
clinging to a table before me ; my wife lying on the sofa, 
and I bracing back against her so as to keep her from 
being thrown upon the floor. 

For the first fifteen minutes, when death seemed in- 
evitable, my shrinking and recoil from death was very 
strong. It was a terror to think of being cast into such 
an angry, surging sea. Then came the thought, I can- 
not give up my work for Christ now ;. His service is a 
joy, and in His strength I want to live and toil for Him. 
After this came thoughts of my children and friends, 
and my church in St. Louis. I said in my heart : My 
work is not done. I cannot part with them now. Lord, 
spare me from this hour. When this tide of thought 
and emotion had swept swiftly past, it was as if Jesus 
came to me walking on the sea. My heart leaped out 
to Him in complete assurance and rest. " Perfect love 
casteth out fear." From that moment He was my ref- 
uge, and all burden went. There was a great calm in 
my soul. Heaven seemed near and unutterably precious. 
The bright way to it through the crystal waters appeared 
short and beautiful as a pavement of emerald. There 
was a feeling of resignation and readiness, then and 
there, in the midst of the boiling, tempestuous sea, to 
go home to the Heavenly Father's house. From that 
early point to the end, I was permitted to minister to 
others. 

The occasion required a soul calm and serene and con- 
fident in God. The crash of the sea and the revels of the 
wind and the thunder of the far deep were mingled with 
the shrieks and groans of the affrighted passengers. 
Under the influence of fear the eyes protruded as in 
strangulation and drowning. All classes were in prayer 
asking mercy, and seeking piteously to be directed. The 
interest in personal salvation was instant and universal. 
A Jew sat at my feet fifteen hours, leaving only at the 
11 



242 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

briefest intervals. The group around me, clinging to 
their holds, listened to the words of salvation as for their 
lives. The Bible seemed builded as an armory wherein 
hung a thousand promises, all mighty shields for men 
in the perils of the sea. The Old Volume and the New, 
Christ and the Apostles, all spake for "those who go down 
to the sea in ships and do business in great waters." 

Every few minutes I tore a blank leaf from my note- 
book, and my wife, as I steadied her, writing down some 
wonderful promise of God, the paper was passed round 
the whole circle from hand to hand, and read with in- 
tense interest and comfort, each one in turn looking 
up at the writer with a glance of grateful recognition. 
Some of the passages thus circulated were : 

" When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee ; 
and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee."— Is. 
xliii. 2. 

" He commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind. Their soul 
is melted because of trouble. Then they cry unto the Lord in 
their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses." — 
Ps. cvii. 25-28. 

" Call upon me in the day of trouble ; I will deliver thee, and 
thou shalt glorify me." — Ps. 1. 15. 

At length God lifted the frown from the sea and visited 
us with His smile. " He maketh the storm a calm. So 
that the waves thereof are still." On the Sabbath that 
followed, praise and gratitude to God rose in the wor- 
ship like incense. There were no dry eyes or indifferent 
hearts. Many who had been the most reckless in their 
excesses and profanity said : " Our prayers and our 
trust in Christ, commenced in storm, shall never cease 
in calm." 

The experience was of great value. I know now the 
keeping power of our Lord in the hour of mortal terror 
and fear. I know the might of His arm to uplift and 



CYCLONE AT SEA. 243 

cheer the soul in its extremities. I know the wondrous 
sweetness of His grace and love when human strength 
fails. Since that day when God hid me in His pavilion 
and taught me, I have been, I trust, a better guide to 
souls in need, in the house of prayer, and in the cham- 
bers of pain and suffering. 

In the solemn hours of that terrific storm, Dr. Good- 
ell consecrated himself anew to the work of the minis- 
try. He resolved, if his life was spared, to labor more 
earnestly for the salvation of men, and he asked God 
to give him a hundred souls in the next year. God had 
been teaching him for years to ask great things, and to 
attempt great things for His kingdom. This largeness 
of thought and purpose was one of his most remark- 
able characteristics. 

Settled down again to his work, after reaching home, 
he passed the autumn and winter in the most earnest 
toil. His influence was felt in every direction ; he 
seemed to multiply himself, or to have the capabilities 
of half a dozen men. His fine constitution and superb 
health were among his personal advantages. They 
enabled him to undertake and easily carry through 
what other men would have done as a difficult task to 
which they had nerved themselves by great effort. 

His fine health gave tone to his spiritual life. There 
was nothing morbid about him, nor forced. He never 
used affectation, and never needed to use it to maintain 
his ministerial character. His religion was genuine, 
and marked by a radiant, inspiring cheerfulness. 
This cheerfulness, if constitutional, as many supposed, 
was a great gift. It formed the undercurrent of his 
life. If he was at times depressed, his elastic, buoyant 
nature soon asserted itself ; hope filled his heart and 



244 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

enabled him to encourage others. He had the natural 
desire of a pastor to build up his church to a condition 
of magnitude and strength, that it might be a great 
centre of religious influence and benevolence in the 
city, and be recognized in the denomination as one of 
its strong and flourishing churches. This desire was at 
last gratified to a signal degree. But it was not so 
quickly realized as it might have been, except for the 
changing character of the population in that part of the 
city. He often experienced the regret of losing from 
the congregation by removal those whom he had gath- 
ered into it. Once he said : " There are times when my 
work seems to me like pouring water into a sieve. I 
lay awake the other night thinking of the families who 
had joined our church and rented pews for a time, and 
then moved away. Since I came here there have been 
over eighty. Each of these families gained, means 
visits and various efforts. They are gained, and then 
away they go. Others must be found to take their 
places. All that work must be done over again to make 
their loss good." 

Such feelings of regret, however, were only temporary. 
He found relief in the larger and more unselfish view, 
that quickly came. Those people would carry the in- 
spiration of his ministry and the model of church life 
they had received in Pilgrim Church wherever they went, 
and thus the influence of the church would be greater. 

The following petitions, found in his note-book, in- 
dicate the religious frame with which he came to Christ- 
mas and the close of the year : 

Christmas. A light is abroad which outshines the 
morning. The birthday of our King ! Let the star to- 
day lead to Bethlehem and the manger, to Jesus' feet. 

May our hearts be both cradle and throne to Thee. 



BRIEF PETITIONS. 245 

Let this church be as a lamp that burneth. 

May we. not be stragglers in the great army of God. 

The flowers are no more free to bees and birds than 
Thy promises are to us. 

Thou hast the ninety and nine. 

How many treasures are safe in the garnered years. 

We have no fear for Thy Church. Thou who hast 
raised the Head wilt raise the body. 

Give us the love that will bear much. 
Bless all Thy disappointed ones. 

Bless the care-worn ; smooth out the lines of trouble. 
Take away the fear of death. Let death be as a van- 
ished stream. 

There is no stint in Thy love ; but there is no trifling 
with Thy authority. 

As he entered the new year, he wrote down the fol- 
lowing petitions for himself and for his people : 

O God, forgive my many hateful and wicked and in- 
excusable sins, and keep me from them. Help me to 
study Thy Word more and with Thy aid. 

Teach me how to preach better, and win souls. 

May I be helped to a more wise ordering of my life, 
and use of time and talents and means. 

Glorify Thyself in me, and extend Thy kingdom 
through me. 

We have passed over the threshold of another year. 
After the week of prayer, may it be a year of work. 
May the year not be just the same old round of duty 
and care. May we be more true to Thee. This year 
may bring Heaven. 



246 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Bless those in doubt and fear. The birds are gone, 
but will return. So will faith and love and joy. 

Help those in places of temptation. 

We thank Thee the Tree of Life grows so low. 

We are to go through the enemy's country all the 
year. May we watch. May we not lose our way as so 
many have. May we not have a divided heart. Help 
us rightly to order our lives and efforts. May we see 
the field that is near, and the field that is afar. May 
there be the savor of Christ in all that we do and say. 

This consecration to his work, united with such piety 
and activity and tireless strength put forth in efforts to 
build up Christ's kingdom, could not fail of success. It 
was, in fact, rewarded with abundant success in his case. 
He was a mighty reaper in the harvest-field included in 
his parish, and many goodly sheaves were brought in 
and rejoiced over at the feasts of ingathering as often 
as they came around. At every communion season 
there were large accessions to the church. These were 
of different ages and classes: the young, the old, those 
in middle life, and the poor and the rich. Confi- 
dent that the Gospel is the power of God unto salva- 
tion unto every one that believeth, he sought to bring 
all to Christ, and to a confession of their faith in Him. 

He was not willing that any should hide their faith by 
following Christ in secret. For their own sakes, and 
for Christ's sake, he thought they ought to avow their 
faith in Christ to the world. Not to do it was to dis- 
honor Christ and endanger their own spiritual welfare. 
The following letter was written to one of this class, 
already far advanced in age, who had been a constant 
attendant at church with his Christian wife for many 
years in another congregation. To understand its full 



SUCCESSFUL LABORS. 247 

significance, consider the letter as only a sample of 
many. It shows with what earnestness and affection 

this pastor cared for his flock : 

3006 Pine St., 
St. Louis, Feb. 24, 1876. 

My dear Mr. C. : — I hope we may have the great 
pleasure of welcoming you to the communion at this 
time. It is a solemn step to take, but it is a good and 
safe and right one. And it is more solemn still to refuse 
to heed the call of Christ and walk in the way He has so 
kindly and plainly opened. 

We feel confident that you accept Christ as a Saviour, 
and love His Bible and keep His holy day, and take 
pleasure in the worship of His house, and in your feeling 
And life belong with Christians. And so there is but 
one step for you to take ; and it is only a step to confess 
Him before men, as He has asked you to do. I hope you 
will take that step now while everything seems so ready. 
It would add to your own peace and happiness. It 
would please your wife and all the circle of friends who 
love you most and best. The influence of it on others 
would be good ; the example would greatly help and 
quicken them. 

All our church want you with them, and would give 
you most hearty welcome. It is good to be loved and 
wanted by Christian people, and have their prayers and 
aid. Christ also wants you. He has called long, say- 
ing, "This do in remembrance of me"; and since you 
owe all to Him, how wise it is to heed Him, and take 
the steps that please Him. The angels desire you ; 
and there will be joy in heaven the hour you enlist in 
the army of Christ, and put on the badge of loyalty and 
discipleship. "If ye know these things, happy are ye if 
ye do them." 

I send you a printed word, which may help you and 
hasten you in this the most important decision of your 



248 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

life. I shall not cease to pray and to hope that you will 
come into the blessed fold of the great Shepherd now. 
There will be an opportunity next Wednesday night. 
Affectionately yours, C. L. Goodell. 

The " printed word " referred to in the foregoing let- 
ter was his own production. We do not know where 
to find anything upon the subject that is equal to it for 
the cogency and " sweet reasonableness " of its argu- 
ments. It is upon "The Duty of Openly Confessing 
Christ." It is based upon the text, Rom. x. 9: " If 
thou shalt co?ifess" etc. 

If space allowed we would like to give the whole of 
it. We have never seen anything so valuable upon the 
subject. A few paragraphs may suggest its wisdom 
and force : 

The question is not whether one cannot live a Chris- 
tian life outside the Church. It is not whether uniting 
with the Church is essential to salvation. The real point 
is, What does Christ teach ? His will is our law here as 
elsewhere. What He would have us do is best for us. 

There is a much more intimate and important relation 
between believing on Christ and confessing Him than 
many think. In everything pertaining to life and char- 
acter there is the spirit and the outward form, and the 
two are essential to each other and constitute one whole. 
In religion there must be the belief of the heart and the 
confession of the mouth. The only religion known and 
acknowledged in the Bible is open and declared. It 
accords no credit to that faith which does not bring the 
soul out into expressed allegiance. 

Uniting with the Church is not so much undertaking 
new duties as it is getting new help. The Church is a 
nursery for Christian training. It is filled with helps 



SUCCESSFUL LABORS. 249 

and incentives to the Christian life. Through worship, 
through culture and instruction, through sacraments, 
through Christian activity, through benevolence and 
self-sacrifice, through sympathy and fellowship and 
mutual helpfulness, the weak grow strong, the doubting 
clear, the heavy-laden lighter of heart, and the barren 
fruitful. It is the place for every one who would be a 
Christian. Every blessing lies along in this direction 
we are seeking, by God's help, to go ; harm comes in 
waiting behind. 

Such labors to bring men to Christ and induce them 
to enter the church, and the various demands which 
the pastoral oversight of the church and the ministry 
to its spiritual wants made upon his time and powers 
of thought, would leave little room, we might think, 
for anything more. But all through those busy years 
Dr. Goodell was also doing other important work. He 
was a frequent contributor to the religious press ; in 
constant demand for addresses at the anniversaries of 
colleges and seminaries, and the various benevolent so- 
cieties of the denomination ; lectured at many places 
each winter, not for money, but to help on poor 
churches ; often preached at the installation of ministers 
and the dedication of churches ; did valuable service on 
boards of trustees. 

The labors of the year 1875-6, characterized by 
such exertions, were fruitful of good results. His re- 
mark concerning the hundred souls asked for in that 
storm at sea, " I record it to the praise of God that He 
gave that number and more," is evidence of the fact. 
Pilgrim Church prospered wonderfully under such an 
earnest ministry. It was full of religious life, and Chris- 
tian activity, and spiritual joy. The signs of its pros- 
perity were visible in every direction. It was apparent 
11* 



250 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

in the size of the Sabbath congregation ; the improved 
tone of public worship ; the interest and power of its 
devotional meetings ; the large ingatherings received at 
every communion season ; the remarkable increase of 
its benevolent work. But the pastor remained undated 
with it all. He recognized and felt that God was the 
giver, and to Him he ascribed all the glory. 

To his son in Professor Camp's school at New 
Britain, he writes : 

3006 Pine St., 
St. Louis, March 16, 1876. 

My dear Son : — I return your report. Try to make 
it better every week. I will send you the photograph 
you ask for. I am glad you have been holding such 
good meetings. I hope you are working for the Saviour 
with the rest. One way you can do good is to be very 
quiet and attentive in prayers, and help to keep others so. 

This is my birthday. Laura has given me forty-six 
kisses ; I wish I could have the same from you. 

Give my love to Prof. Camp and all the family. You 
must see how much you can do to please them. I love 
you, my dear Oliver, and think of you every day. 

Time is gold ; do not play it all away, but put it into 
your head in the shape of learning. It is better to 
empty our money into our heads than into our stomachs. 
Your affectionate Father. 

He was invited to prepare an address for the Trien- 
nial Convention of Congregational Churches of Illinois, 
which met in Chicago in May, 1876. The subject 
chosen was "The Duty of Churches to give their 
Choicest Sons to the Ministry." The address was re- 
plete with wit and wisdom. So deep was the impres- 
sion it made, that a distinguished member of the Con- 
vention moved that the address be published for the 



ADDRESS AT CHICAGO IN 1 876. 25 1 

benefit of the churches ; and that when published the 
ministers be requested to read it before their congrega- 
tions. The anniversary of the Theological Seminary, 
which occurred at the same time, made it particularly 
impressive. 

For reasons why more of the choicest sons of the 
churches should give themselves to the ministry, Dr. 
Goodell gave: I. The duty of undertaking the work. 
2. The privilege of it. 3. The joy of it. Of the joy oi 
the work, Dr. Goodell, speaking from his own personal 
knowledge, after a trial of nearly twenty years, gives 
a testimony that has the glow and emphasis derived 
from the memory of a happy experience. He says : 

Petty annoyances and trials there are in the ministry, 
but there is a solid happiness in this service, which is 

great beyond comparison There is no toil more 

delightful in this life, or which promises greater reward 

in the life to come It calls into happy use all the 

noblest faculties of our nature. It brings down in time 
of need all the grateful help of heaven. It knits into a 
fellowship of sympathy and love all for whom it labors, 
and establishes friendships and communions which shall 
outlast the stars. It is allied to everything that is true 
and beautiful and good. For troubled sleep there are 
songs in the night, and for burdened days there are re- 
vealings of the King's face. 

Among the means to be employed for filling the 
ranks of the ministry, he mentions — (1). The elevation 
of the standard of vital piety in the churches. (2). 
Special consecration of children by parents to the min- 
istry. (3). Prayer among God's people. (4). Revivals. 

Of the relation of ministerial supply to parental 
piety, especially that of mothers, he said : 



252 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

The most of our clergymen are Samuels. Devout 
mothers have given back to God the beloved ones who 
have come to their homes. The mother's tears, drop- 
ping fresh on the head of the fair boy as she bows over 
him in prayer, is the baptism. The mother's hands laid 
nightly on his forehead, as she folds him to sleep, is the 
best ordination. 

Of the far-reaching influence of godly parents he 
gave the following interesting example : 

William Shepard, of Towcester, England, was a thrifty 
business man, " much blessed of God in his estate and in 
his soul "; and his wife a devout woman "of many prayers." 
Towcester was a godless town, and although he was mak- 
ing money there, he resolved to move to Banbury, where 
there was a " stirring ministry," and good religious priv- 
ileges for his children. His son, Thomas Shepard, 
entered Cambridge University and graduated with great 
honor at Emmanuel College, the special school of the 
Puritans. He became a distinguished writer and an 
able minister. Removing to America, he was the first 
pastor of the church in Cambridge, Mass., and exercised 
"a most soul-flourishing ministry" there during his life. 
Through his influence Harvard College was located at 
Cambridge. His published writings were a great light 
in his time. His three sons became ministers. Thomas, 
his eldest born, was pastor of the church at Charles- 
town. Anna, the daughter of this Thomas, married 
Daniel Quincy. Their daughter, Elizabeth Quincy, mar- 
ried Rev. William Smith, of Weymouth ; and Abigail 
Smith, daughter of Rev. William Smith, of Weymouth, 
married John Adams, and thus became the wife of one 
President of the United States, and the mother of an- 
other. Charles Francis Adams, an ambassador from 
this nation to the Court of St. James, is eighth in descent 



ADDRESS AT CHICAGO IN 1 876. 253 

from William Shepard of Towcester. Two Presidents, 
over thirty ministers of the Gospel, and a number of 
eminent civilians have sprung from this godly ancestor. 
When Wm. Shepard and his pious wife moved to Ban- 
bury, Oxfordshire, to afford their family better spiritual 
opportunities, what trains of beneficent influence were 
set in motion. Their lines of usefulness have gone out 
into all the earth. When the ex-Minister to England 
made a plea last summer at Amherst College for a re- 
vival of righteousness in this nation, it was the echo of 
that sturdy Puritan's voice, two centuries ago, who put 
religion before worldly gain, saying, "Seek first the 
kingdom of God and His righteousness." 

Of revivals as a means of supplying ministers he 
said: 



The Christian Church was born in a revival. The 
Church in America has been spread by revivals. The 
history of the growth of God's kingdom is the history 
of revivals. Thousands of our ministers have been con- 
verted in revivals. Convictions are clearer and deeper 
in revivals, aims of usefulness more definite and deter- 
mined ; consecrations more thorough, and the views of 
the new life and of the duties to the world more vivid 
and moving. 

A revival in a single academy has produced a score of 
ministers and missionaries. An awakening in Yale, in 
Amherst, in Williams, has given a hundred standard- 
bearers to the Church in a single season. One glorious 
revival through the land might supply the wants of the 
Church for a generation, and send an armed cohort to 

India and China To revivals of religion we must 

owe not only an increasing number of ministers, but 
much that is best in the character and quality of their 



254 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

service as heralds of the living Christ. The revival 
gives the tongue of flame. 

The following prayer of thanksgiving and petition, 
found in his private note-book, with date attached, is 
significant and interesting: 

St. Johnsbury, Vt., Aug. 20, 1876. 
I thank Thee, blessed Lord, for answering my prayers 
and longings made on this very spot ten years ago ; for 
the souls saved and the church quickened. Now, O 
most gracious Lord, bless me as before in my church- 
work, that it may prosper ; in my family, that it may be 
preserved and saved ; and myself, that I may be a faith- 
ful and true minister of Christ in the best sense. Hear, 
O Lord, and answer ! 

"The spot" was on " the Hill," so hallowed by his 
prayers. 

In the same year, 1876, the centennial year of the 
nation, the spire and tower of his church were finished 
at a cost of $15,000. This spire, rising to a height of 
235 feet from sidewalk to finial, is graceful and sym- 
metrical, and forms an attractive object in that part of 
the city. When this spire was completed, on Christmas 
Eve, December 24, 1876, a chime of ten bells were 
hung in the tower, with a carillon attachment for play- 
ing a great variety of change melodies and sacred tunes, 
the gift of Dr. R. W. Oliphant, in memory of his wife 
and son deceased. 

This chime of bells was always a source of great 
delight to Dr. Goodell. He rejoiced in the religious in- 
fluence they probably exerted, believing that they gave a 
kind of gospel that was fraught with power and blessing 
to many who otherwise would have no religious teaching 



BELFRY CHIMES. 255 

or impressive reminders of anything higher and better 
than the earth. " Their melody/' he once said, "is 
turning at some moment daily the thoughts of a hun- 
dred thousand people heavenward. Such a monumental 
sermon is more powerful than words. It forms a point 
of happy contact with great multitudes of people whom 
we otherwise should not touch and could not benefit." 
There was something in their jubilant tones that ac- 
corded with his spirit. One may fancy that he often 
keyed his soul to their exultant strains on Sabbath 
mornings as he went to church, and this was the reason 
of that joyous outburst of praise, thanksgiving, and 
adoration which was frequently heard from his lips in 
the prayer of invocation. They were certainly typical 
of much in his spiritual nature and ministerial life. 
Their rich melodious tones, " low and loud and sweetly 
blended," like the voices of an angelic choir singing 
unseen in the air, by which so many people are daily 
and hourly soothed and comforted, were to him like 
the diverse voices which address us from the Word of 
God, and by which, when weary, or hopeless and de- 
pressed, our hearts are cheered and strengthened. 
They symbolized also the various influences of his min- 
istry of that Word to his people as they heard it from 
his lips. 

In April, 1877, the tower clock, with chiming quar- 
ters adapted to the chime of bells, was given to the 
church by Mrs. Goodell, in loving memory of her father, 
ex-Gov. Erastus Fairbanks, St. Johnsbury, Vt. The 
clock beautifully supplements the chimes, serving by 
the striking quarters to make their voices often heard, 
and prompting them 

" To chime the gradual hours out like a flock 
Of stars whose motion is melodious." 



256 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

The music of the quarters is like that of those played 
by the bells of St. Mary's Church, Cambridge Univer- 
sity, England. 

THOUGHTS FROM HIS NOTE-BOOK. 

Let us go thoughtfully, that we may get the delicate 
and finer good out of life, and not crush by thoughtless 
step the rarer flowers. 

Much of the fineness of our nature is killed by over- 
work. 

Some plunge their whole face into the rose of joy and 
become drunk with the scent. 

Here we remember the fair faces beside us, now gone. 

May we not pass by our blessings and see only Mor- 
decai in the king's gate. 

May our hands not be full and our hearts empty. 

God has come to some of us with a rod, and to some 
with a crown. It is well to have God come any way He 
will. 

Our crosses hurt, but do not hinder our way to Heaven. 

Christ may deny us many things, but He never will 
His love. 

What we give we get ; what we make the church, that 
it makes us. The church-life will rise no higher than 
the life of the individuals that compose it. 

Commence the day with high and good thoughts. 

Make a choice of the best things and not the worst. 

Try hard not to get mad ; how it hurts the soul. 

If a spark falls into the water there can be no fire. If 
a brand is thrown in upon us we need not be a powder 
magazine and blow up. 



THOUGHTS FROM HIS NOTE-BOOK. 257 

Do not jump into a mud-hole because you have come 
to it — go around it. 

Living convictions born of truth, which set men's 
hearts aglow, are the only forces which lift up and carry 
forward this race of ours. 

It may be equally wrong in the sight of God to hide 
our good works as to display them. 

Here and now we see Christianity in the imperfect 
bud, but in prophecy we see it in the complete and per- 
fect flower as it is to be. 

In even* resurrection in the Bible, the raised are given 
back to their friends. So it will be in the great resur- 
rection. 

The Kingdom of God — it comes to the soul when one 
first truly begins to do the will of God ; it is perfected 
in the soul when we do the perfect will of God. 

How our attachments grow with time ; we hate to 
leave our friends. How* a long eternity will knit us to- 
gether ! 

The world belongs to those that come last ; its hope 
and strength are for them. 

We often do more good by our sympathy than by our 
labors. 

Christians will be like the atmosphere of the church 
they are brought up in. 



XIII. 

WIDE USEFULNESS AND 
POPULARITY. 



1877. 



" We were weary and we 
Fearful, and we in our march 
Fain to drop down and to die. 
Still thou turnedst, and still 
Beckonedst the trembler, and still 
Gavest the weary thy hand." 

— Matthew Arnold. 

"There are men of conviction whose very faces will light up 
an era." — J. T. Fields. 

" Noble examples stir us up to noble actions, and the very 
history of large and public souls inspires a man with generous 
thoughts." — Seneca. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

DRURY COLLEGE — SABBATH-SCHOOL CONVENTION, 
HOUSTON, TEXAS — ADDRESS BEFORE THEOLOG- 
ICAL SEMINARY, CHICAGO — ADDRESS BEFORE 
AMERICAN BOARD MEETING, PROVIDENCE, R. I. — 
ADDRESS BEFORE NATIONAL COUNCIL, DETROIT. 

Dr. GOODELL had a high opinion of the importance 
of Christian schools and colleges. He looked upon 
them as among the most valuable handmaids of the 
Church, and as contributing greatly to the welfare of 
our country. He deemed the influence of the Chris- 
tian college vital to the welfare of the new West in 
shaping its moral character and future destiny. Hence 
his deep interest in Drury College. Its location in 
Southwest Missouri gave it a position and opportunity 
of great usefulness, if it was only equal to it. It might 
be a Pharos to throw a light into the vast, dark region 
beyond. It was his prayer that it might become such. 
He did all he could to make it such. 

His services to Drury College are deserving of par- 
ticular notice. Of the great importance of those ser- 
vices — that the very existence of the college was for a 
time dependent upon them — President Morrison is a 
sufficient witness. He says : " In considering the rela- 
tion of Dr. Goodell to Drury College, it is not too much 
to say, that had he not been pastor of Pilgrim Church 
during the early years of the college, the college would 
never have been. He is one of the founders — a chief 

(261) 



262 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

factor in promoting whatever may come out of this 
college enterprise in all the time to come." 

The following communication from President Mor- 
rison has an interest almost pathetic, both for its per- 
sonal reminiscences of Dr. Goodell, and for the illus- 
tration it affords of the trials and struggles sometimes 
experienced by those who, like President Morrison, un- 
dertake to build up a college. The materials wrought 
into some of these colleges, in the process of building, 
have been cemented together, we might almost say, 
with the tears of those who toiled in anguish to rear 
them : 

At the time of my first visit to the Southwest, November, 
1872, Dr. Goodell had just been called to the pastorate of Pil- 
grim Church. With the prospect then that I might have con- 
nection with the proposed college for Southwest Missouri, I 
anticipated with much satisfaction, having the co-operation of 
Dr. Goodell on the Board of Trustees, as I had known him and 
his noble work at New Britain. Accordingly in March fol- 
lowing, when the first Board of Trustees of the College was 
nominated, he was the first one selected outside of Springfield. 
By his counsel, Mr. S. M. Edgell was chosen as his St. Louis 
colleague. 

Dr. Goodell gave himself with characteristic ardor to the ser- 
vice of the infant school. Within a few months after the open- 
ing, in September, 1873, he made a contribution in money, and 
took down from his own library nearly two hundred valuable 
books to be the beginning of our college library.* If this was 

* " How full of the life principle and developing power this ' nucleus ' gift was, 
is well attested by the nearly twenty thousand volumes to which the college 
collection has already grown. This first gift of books by Dr. Goodell has 
been followed by several others from him — one comprising a full set of the 
Edinburgh Review. 

" And now this Christian pastor's library, intellectual fountain of instruction 
and stimulus to his people through a fruitful ministry of twenty-seven years — 
the rapt reader's eyes forever closed, the need of such earthly key to the wisdom 
of God forever ended — by the noble generosity of his equal companion in all 
these studies and benefactions, comes 10 be a perpetual benediction and inspi- 



DRURY COLLEGE. 263 

not the first gift of books to the college, it was among the 
very first. 

At every quadrennial election of trustees, Dr. Goodell 
always received the unanimous vote of his colleagues for re- 
election, as a matter of course. In all the counsels of the Board 
his opinion always had paramount weight. If we knew how he 
felt in reference to any matter of business or policy, all the rest 
of us sought to achieve his wishes. How unremitting and mu- 
nificent has been the interest of the Pilgrim pastor and people 
in this young school of Christian learning is shown in every 
annual report of benefactions to the college since its founding, 
in beneficiary scholarships, endowment and prize funds, and in 
the chief buildings of the college. When we have wanted a 
rousing sermon or lecture here, the hard-worked pastor has 
ever been ready to leave his home, traverse the long distance 
between the metropolis and this remote village on the hill-tops 
and respond to our call. When we have needed counsel, we 
have gone to No. 3006 Pine Street. 

Just before sailing for England, in 1875, he asked me about 
the special needs of the college. I told him about the new 
boarding-hall for ladies — roofed, with basement done — but all 
unfinished above. We needed $15,000 or more to complete the 
building. He said he was going to do good service in England 
for home missions and education in Southwest Missouri while 
across the sea. 

After his return he told me that he had awakened a good 
deal of interest for our work among his friends abroad, but gave 
no distinct intimation of definite help. 

In the following winter I was canvassing in St. Louis for 
means to keep the soul and the body of the college together, 
and with poor success. In the afternoon of a most dismal day, 
when I had toiled all day and gotten nothing but discourage- 
ment, I was walking up Fourth Street toward my lodgings 
through the gathering gloom, with my eyes bent on the pave- 
ment. All at once his presence and kindly voice wakened me 
from my reverie. He said, " I have something to say to you ; 
can we not step into an office near by and be alone ? " He led 

ration to successive generations of students in this college." (From the Ad- 
dress of President Morrison upon the occasion of the Presentation to Drury 
College of a Portrait of the late Rev. C. L. Goodell, D.D.. Oct. 20, 1886.) 



264 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

me to the Mercantile Library, and there, in an alcove, told rae 
that his brother-in-law, Charles Fairbanks, Esq., of London, had 
authorized him to tell the authorities of the college that he would 
give the $15,000 required for the completion of the boarding- 
hall. The surprise and relief were so great that I at once broke 
down in an uncontrollable fit of weeping. We attracted not a 
little attention from librarian and visitors, who no doubt thought 
the well-known pastor was administering needed discipline to 
an erring member of his flock. Dr. Gocdell's great service to 
the college in that crisis gave him a place in the esteem and 
affection of the people of Springfield such as perhaps no other 
man (certainly no non-resident) ever held. 

In the winter of 1876-7, a period of great depression to the 
college, on my first visit to the seaboard for financial help, in 
bidding me good-bye at the door of his house, he said : " You 
are going East on an important but very difficult mission. May 
God bless you and give you strength and wisdom." The errand 
thus started upon with his benediction, resulted in securing the 
Stone Endowments, $77, 500 in all. 

At the presentation of the portrait of Dr. Goodell to 
Drury College, October 20, 1886, already referred to, 
Mr. A. W. Benedict, of Pilgrim Church, who made the 
address accompanying the gift, gave this testimony 
concerning Dr. Goodell's interest and labors for the 
college : 

From the hour when President Morrison and Samuel F. 
Drury, Esq., its honored founder, held their first interview with 
him in St. Louis, in 1873, to the morning of his exaltation to 
heavenly glory, he never ceased to plan, to pray, to give, to care 
for this institution. He saw in its founding the breaking forth 
of a great light out of the midst of darkness ; a potent factor, not 
only of education, but evangelization, and he hailed it as from 
God ; a great door of opportunity opening for all this mighty 
empire of the Southwest. 

With the same spirit of consecration and self-sacrifice, and 
with the same generous confidence in ultimate success that 
marked the founders of Harvard and Yale and the earlier uni- 



DRURY COLLEGE. 265 

versities of the East, he committed himself to this enterprise ; 
and although the pressure of an important and growing pastor- 
ate — the building of a great church — was upon him, and cease- 
less calls upon his time and services from the various depart- 
ments of Christian activity in the country at large, he never 
allowed anything to rob it of his full service, but loyally and 
patiently and hopefully held to this work as of paramount im- 
portance in shaping the future not only of the State, but of 
Congregationalism in the Southwest ; and, while not neglecting 
other interests, freely gave to this his time, his money, his in- 
fluence, and his prayers ; and so has he wrought upon the lives 
around him, and set before them the present worth and import- 
ance of this work, that, as a memorial to him, and out of love 
for it, inspired largely by his example, has come a permanent 
financial and literary endowment that will live and work long 
after we shall have passed from earth. 

He was a builder who, with faith in God and man, built with 
the materials at hand, and made the most of them. He did not 
despair because they were not of the highest order, and, in com- 
mon with so many others, do nothing, because everything was 
not according to his mind ; but despising not the day of small 
things, with energy, courage, and confidence ; with the faithful 
men and women who have stood true to this enterprise, and 
had the wisdom to see the opportunity and the boldness to 
seize upon it ; confronted the difficulties that stood in the way, 
and from them, and in spite of them, wrested the achievement 
that to-day marks its history. 

But why should he have taken such a vital interest in the 
welfare of Drury College ? Is it too much to say that he caught, 
as with prophetic spirit, a vision of the future, and realized at 
the beginning the mighty significance of the hour which led 
him to give instant heed to its irresistible demands and needs? 

Unquestionably during the last quarter of this miracle of a 
nineteenth century, more than any period in history, is time 
valuable ; and Drury College was founded none too soon. Short 
as has been its life in years, has it not more than vindicated, 
in what it has accomplished in the face of great obstacles, its 
right to be, and the wisdom of its existence ? 

Because of his known interest in the college, and his 
12 



266 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

frequent benefactions and great services to it, Dr. 
Goodell was very popular with the instructors and the 
students. His coming made a gala day to the college. 
His presence in its halls was proclaimed from mouth to 
mouth, and became the occasion of universal joy. 

At the reception given to the friends of the college 
from St. Louis, when Dr. Goodell's portrait was pre- 
sented, Professor C. D. Adams, speaking for the col- 
lege, said : 

Many times before, the friends of Drury have gathered in this 
social way, and always in such gatherings one face has been 

loved and honored most of all Have we in other days 

met in congratulation over some onward step in this young en- 
terprise, his hearty joy and sparkling humor have made us 
doubly glad. Have we met in some great crisis, worried and 
perplexed, this face has come so full of faith and cheer that 
we have thanked God and taken courage. Have we met to plan 
for the work of this young college, this face has been ever to- 
ward the future, quick to see its possibilities, to appreciate its 
opportunities. 

In the communication from President Morrison, 
which has been quoted from, we have seen how greatly 
Dr. Goodell's friendly aid and sympathy assisted him. 
He was his sheet-anchor in times of raging storm, and 
repeatedly carried him and the college through in safe- 
ty. The substantial assistance he gave, or was the 
means of procuring for the needs of the college, was 
no more valuable than the moral support afforded. 
This was, perhaps, the greatest help of all. Says Presi- 
dent Morrison : 

In his relations to me personally, he was always helpful in 
the highest degree. He did not always approve of my acts, and 
sometimes sharply criticised, but always in a most friendly 
spirit. He had a good habit of saying the right thing to people 



THOUGHTS FROM HIS NOTE-BOOK. 267 

in trouble and perplexity. On one occasion when my enemies 
were many and strong, and I was well-nigh overwhelmed with 
the difficulties in my way, he pointed my attention to the won- 
derful words in the vision of Ananias (Acts ix. 16) concerning 
Saul of Tarsus, " I will show him how great things he must suffer 
for my name's sake." I had already lately read the words with 
a new meaning, but his quotation and his tone and manner (im- 
plying that the words had special application to his own expe- 
riences) gave inspiration to my heart and purpose. 

He rarely wrote me a business note (his letters were always 
brief), without including some word of encouragement or Chris- 
tian counsel. Often he inclosed a printed motto, one of which 
I have carried for years in my diary : " Said I not unto thee, if 
thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the salvation of 
God ? " and from this I have often derived fresh courage and 
faith for my work. 

I was always impressed (by association with Dr. Goodell) with 
the fact that he was, in an exalted sense, a disciple of Christ in 
this, that he was always "about his Father's business." As a 
business man in St. Louis, not connected with Pilgrim Church, 
has said to me, " Dr. Goodell was always striving to make peo- 
ple happier and better. He never entered a house, or an office, 
without leaving a blessing by word or act behind him." 

THOUGHTS FROM HIS NOTE-BOOK. 

To reach Heaven, there is no gulf to cross. 

To sing a song is not to live a life. 

Love makes all things new, bears all burdens, for- 
gives all sins, overlooks all faults. 

Those who can find no time to pray must find time 
to die. 

Other things fade out, but Christ never. 

Every day will bring its opportunities ; may we not 
be in such low moods as to miss them. What we need 
to do for this hard world, every day, is to put something 
of Christ into it. We cannot give what we have not got. 



268 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Just beyond the shores of time, the better years begin. 

May we adorn the cross by faith and love and humili- 
ty, and not make the cross hateful. 

May we be happy as we go ; see the good in things 
daily, finding our joy in our duty and our work. 

The only pleasure that never wears out is the pleasure 
of doing good. 

What an arsenal of spiritual weapons we have ! What 
forces in command in Christ ! Use them. 

A prayer-meeting is a place where the Christian is to 
be comforted and helped in the work and worry of life. 

Nothing makes such cowards as unbelief. 

If Paul and the apostles had done nothing but home- 
work, what kind of home-work should we be doing now ? 

We are working on unparalleled altitudes ; in the 
Christian work we move along the heights. The wide 
spaces about us in work and effort are inspiring and 
grand. 

Dr. Goodell, during all these years in St. Louis, was 
growing steadily in power, reputation, and influence. 
No pastor was more respected in the city where he 
lived, and he became most favorably known throughout 
the whole country. At the great religious meetings of 
his denomination he was a marked man, and his ad- 
dresses on such occasions were much admired for their 
combined wit and wisdom. " Of all the ministers of his 
denomination in this country," says Dr. Simeon Gil- 
bert, " not one was more generally and warmly loved." 
There was something in his personality which made all 
who saw and heard him feel very friendly toward him. 
The sentiment inspired by him was more than one of 






HIS PERSONALITY. 269 

good-will — it was one of love. Wherever and whenever 
he appeared — on the platform, or in the social gather- 
ings common to such occasions — there was an expres- 
sion of affectionate admiration for him visible in the 
faces of the people. Whatever honors others might 
receive, whatever compliments, the tribute of praise be- 
stowed upon him had a flavor of personal regard which 
was specially noticeable. 

What was the reason of it ? No analysis of the man 
will wholly explain it ; yet we may obtain some appre- 
hension of how it was by the consideration of a few 
qualities that distinguished him. 

He was a large-hearted man, generous, sympathetic, 
appreciative of the good in others, and singularly free 
from selfishness, jealousy, or suspicion. " We did not 
call him Mr. Greatheart," says Dr. Dexter, " but that is 
precisely what he was ; what he was, not merely to his 
own people in Connecticut, where he wrought with 
such grand success for the church of his first love, and 
in St. Louis, and through the whole Southwest, but to 
a rare degree to the Congregational churches of the 
land." 

He was a man of large faith, which nothing could 
daunt or quench. He believed in God, and he showed 
his faith by his works. God was his refuge and his 
strength, and such was the contagion of his example, 
the inspiring influence of his words and trustful de- 
meanor, that others found strength in God also. He 
seemed continually to dwell in the secret presence 
of the Most High. His heart was therefore calm and 
at peace whatever disturbing circumstances existed. 
This was one of the strange things about him, that con- 
tradictory qualities were united in him, that he exhib- 
ited " on the one hand a boundless energy, and on the 



2JO THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

other a profound repose." This strong faith gave him 
great courage. Appalling difficulties, seemingly insur- 
mountable obstacles, often loomed up before him ; but 
he was never frightened by them. He had the firmness 
of heart and the tranquil air of one whose mind is 
stayed on God. He was stout-hearted as well as great- 
hearted. This made him a source of good-cheer and 
inspiration to others. " Very few are the men in the 
ministry of our day," says one of his eulogists, "who 
have put more sunshine into the hearts of others. For 
doing this he possessed genius as well as abundant 

grace The upward glance of his faith in God 

was so clear, his courage for great things for God 
so full of the anticipations of triumph, and his own 
spirit of hope so contagious, that he could not help 
being a leader." And yet it was a peculiar kind of 
leadership. It was not a self-assertive, dominating 
leadership ; but a leadership in impulse and enthusiasm 
for God's work, possessed by one whose devotion to 
that work inspired others to follow. 

To the moral qualities just given he joined remark- 
able mental and physical advantages adapted to aug- 
ment his influence. He had, with his fine personal 
presence, a warm, genial temperament. The thoughts 
of some men, it has been said, appear to "pass through 
a cold country" before they reach the lips. Such men 
have cold, lymphatic natures. Dr. Goodell had a sym- 
pathetic, kindly nature. His blood was warm, and his 
heart gave tone to his lips. His thoughts came to them 
through a bright, sunny country. Those lips possessed 
a rare felicity of speech. Few men have the art of put- 
ting their thought into such happy phrases. His ad- 
dresses abounded in epigrammatic sentences and brill- 
iant sallies, which were long remembered and much 



JOURNEY TO TEXAS. 271 

quoted. He had a poet's imagination, and at times 
the orator's divine gift of heart-stirring, enchanting elo- 
quence. 

On the great occasions we are speaking of, he ap- 
peared at his best. He realized the value of a great 
object to call out enthusiasm. He himself felt its ap- 
peal, and had all the enthusiasm appropriate to it. This 
gave him a wonderful power to inspire others. He 
rarely failed to be equal to the task and the occasion 
given him. His addresses at the great meetings of the 
Congregational body, during the last few years of his 
life, were among the most notable things that occurred 
on those occasions. Those addresses have been pre- 
served, so far as the printed language could preserve 
them ; but, as usually happens, their chief power and 
interest were confined to the times in which they were 
given. They were due to the living presence and per- 
sonality of the speaker. The charm of his voice and 
manner was unreportable. We cannot describe it. The 
glow of his radiant face is gone, or survives only in the 
memory of his friends. " Few faces," says one of those 
friends, " have ever had such power as this, — it looked 
once into your eyes and you were a friend for life ; . . . . 
and when our strong men were met to take wise coun- 
sel for sending the Gospel across the continent, this 
face flamed with a prophetic fire that will for years illum- 
inate the path of American Home Missions." 

We would ask the reader to note, as we advance 
through the next few years of Dr. Goodell's life, how 
intense it was growing, and how crowded with multi- 
tudinous activity. Journeys of many hundreds of miles 
were taken in quick succession. In April, 1877, at the 
instance of " Father Paxon," he made a trip of ten days 
to Texas, to attend the Annual State Sunday school 



272 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Convention at Houston. He was greatly delighted 
with all that he saw and heard at the convention, and 
in his visit " among the cattle kings " of Texas. At 
the convention he met and heard the veteran Sunday- 
school worker, T. J. Pilgrim, who had acted as Spanish 
interpreter to the first American colony planted in 
Texas in 1821 by Moses Austin, and who had started 
the first Sunday-school in Texas, in Gonzales, forty 
years before. 

Dr. Goodell was amazed at the vast herds of cattle 
he saw, and the various evidences of teeming wealth 
and the promise of future greatness in the State. He 
thus writes with enthusiasm : " There are cattle on a 
thousand prairies, and horses are so plenty that the 
beggars ride. The climate is a paradise of mildness 
and comfort. From St. Louis to Houston it seemed 
like a plunge from an April morning into the balm of 
June. Twenty thousand people live without shelter 
on the prairies of Texas, and camp nightly under the 
open heavens. All kinds of stock feed themselves en- 
tirely the year round. In April we had on the table 
green peas, onions, potatoes, strawberries and black- 
berries, fully ripe and in the greatest abundance. Mag- 
nolias, and oleanders larger than those by the Jordan, 
were in full bloom. The landscape is wonderfully fin- 
ished and attractive. It is mostly open, rolling coun- 
try, smooth and beautiful as a lawn. While the houses 
are new, the country looks old, like the parks of Eng- 
land. Level down Boston Common considerably, pre- 
serve the trees standing under-trimmed here and there, 
make it green as an emerald, and extend it to the size 
of four New Englands or more, and you have the ap- 
pearance of a large portion of Texas. Her population is 
lost in so extended a garden lawn. In passing through 



ADDRESS AT CHICAGO IN 1 877. 273 

the State you hardly see more people than you see 
vessels in crossing the Atlantic, and you wonder where 
the people are. The sense of possible growth and 
productiveness is without parallel." The trip from 
St. Louis to the leading cities of the State covered 
2,250 miles of railway travel, and was equal to a visit to 
Boston. 

In May, 1877, Dr. Goodell gave the annual address 
to the graduating class of the Congregational Theolog- 
ical Seminary, Chicago. His theme was " Sources of 
the Preacher's Power." He speaks of four as of prime 
importance, viz. : A Sound Mind ; Knowledge of the 
Scriptures ; Acquaintance with God ; The Anointing of 
the Holy Spirit. 

In regard to " Knowledge of the Scriptures," he says : 

.... The minister, like the plant, must draw more of 
his life from the skies than from the earth. The earth 
affords elements of soil suited to all plants ; the Bible 
has elements for the enlargement and strengthening of 
every faculty of our being. It speaks to the whole man, 
calling to the deepest things in him, and gives effective- 
ness to all his life and work, when it is studied and re- 
ceived in its entirety and its full counsels are followed. 
.... Ministers sometimes fear the plain Word, and dare 
not stick to it, but nothing can take its place, as nothing 

can take the place of air and food The Apostles 

were witnesses to a simple fact — Jesus and the resurrec- 
tion. The Word grew as it was preached. It caught 
here and there in human hearts like seed. The charac- 
ter of the Apostles expanded and rounded through the 
ingrafted truth till they became among the grandest 
figures in human history. O how soon our locks of 
power are shorn and we become as other men when 
we lose vital connection with divine truth, and permit 
12* 



274 THE LI FE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

any other book to rank the Bible ! If our knowledge of 
the Scriptures is meagre, meagre will be the feast which 
we furnish, and unsatisfactory the result. No knowledge 
takes the place of Bible knowledge. .... It is the vol- 
ume of God. All libraries are in it, and all authors. 

The seeds of the world's harvest are there It 

takes you to the gates of light, and swings open the in- 
ner door that you may behold the King 

Concerning " Acquaintance with God," he says : 

. . . This inward sense of God revealed to us, know- 
ing us, known of us, walking with us, imparting peace, 
joy, light, wisdom, guidance, inspiration, is a wonderful 
power. The preacher's piety, therefore, is the preacher's 
power. Much of the lack of power in modern preach- 
ing arises from the want of experimental acquaintance 
with God. Preachers know a great deal about Him, 
and the cunning of His hand, and about the silver trump- 
ets of His priests, and the badger-skins of His taber- 
nacle, and the hyssop of the wall ; but they need to look 
oftener into eternity, a sight more frequently of the 
crown, an incoming of the great tides of redeeming love 
into their souls, God revealed to their inner conscious- 
ness in the fulness of His tenderness and grace 

Of the " Anointing of the Holy Spirit," he says : 

.... This is the preacher's greatest power 

The Spirit has, among others, especially three functions. 
First, to convict of sin and cause the lost soul to cry 
out to God for help. Second, to take of the things of 
Christ and show them unto the believer, and give peace 
through the cleansing blood. A third office of the Spirit 
is to bestow power for testimony, enduing the soul with 
a holy boldness to witness for Christ before men. This 
mission of the Spirit is, unfortunately, too little recog- 



ADDRESSES AT PROVIDENCE AND DETROIT. 275 

nized by Christian preachers and teachers. If they have 
the joy of the Holy Ghost within for themselves, they 
frequently are content to rest there, and not seek special 
and definite empowerment from on high in the work of 

delivering their message The Spirit gives us 

power to become witnesses for Christ. I had preached 
two hundred sermons before I saw this truth. There 
was the sound of a going in them, but not much going. 
They brought some praise from men, but, alas ! scarcely 
a soul for God. 

Dr. Goodell was present in October at the annual 
meeting of the American Board in Providence, R. I., 
and made a remarkable address upon the Missionary 
Work in the East. There is space only for one brief 
paragraph : 

A new era of hope is inaugurated for Asia, the old 
homestead of the race. The Apostle John, on the Isle 
of Patmos, saw the angel standing with one foot on the 
land and one on the sea, but the outlook was through 
the gates of Hercules to the West, where the Gospel was 
to be borne. Eighteen centuries pass away, and now 
we see the angel standing one foot on the land and one 
on the sea, but the face is turned toward the East, and 
the uplifted finger points to Turkey, and India, and 
China. 

One of the best remembered of Dr. Goodell's ad- 
dresses was made before the National Council of the 
Congregational Churches at Detroit, Mich., in the same 
autumn of 1877, upon " Woman's Work as a Part of the 
Religious Movement of the Time." Its wit, vigor of 
thought, and good sense gave it great celebrity at the 
time. At the first sentence the grave and dignified 



2^6 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

assembly was convulsed with laughter, and listened with 
pleased attention and warm approval to the end. 

We have room only for the opening paragraph, which, 
however, has the key-note of the whole address: 

I am set to grind in this mill of the woman question, 
concerning which the opinions of good men differ, while 
the Philistines look on and make sport. Public opinion 
on this subject is so sensitive I may bring down the 
house as Samson did. I desire to know the mind of the 
Spirit on this subject, and to get at the truth. We can- 
not afford to allow prejudice, or custom, or false con- 
servatism, to bar out from the Lord's vineyard any help- 
fulness which Christian women can properly render. To 
carry on Christian work without their aid is like drag- 
ging the chariot of Israel with one wheel off. 



XIV. 
FRUITFUL JOURNEYS AND LABORS. 

1877— 187Q. 



" And through thee I believe 
In the noble and great who are gone ; 
Not like the men of the crowd, 
But souls tempered with fire, 
Fervent, heroic, and good, 
Helpers and friends of mankind." 

— Matthew Arnold. 

" Christians are like the several fiowers in a garden that have 
each of them the dew of heaven, which, being shaken with the 
wind, they let fall at each other's roots, whereby they are jointly 
nourished, and become nourishers of each other." — Bunyan. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

OUTSIDE WORK IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA; ST. PAUL, 
MINN. ; OBERLIN, OHIO — VISIT TO PLYMOUTH 
ROCK — SIXTH ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 

The year 1877-8, from vacation to vacation, like the 
one preceding, was a crowded year. Among his papers 
we have found a record of the number of miles travelled 
this year in " outside work," i. e., to attend ordinations, 
installations, anniversaries, and conventions of different 
kinds, where he had been invited to make addresses. 
The aggregate of distances thus travelled during the 
year was 8,275 miles. 

It might be supposed that in responding to these 
calls from abroad he must of necessity have neglected 
his work at home. But he was never charged with such 
neglect. The home work advanced steadily forward 
with marvellous rapidity and success. Never once did 
it appear to halt. So well organized was the church, 
and so full of willing, efficient workers, that its work 
went continually forward, though the pastor occasion- 
ally was absent. His spirit remained behind whenever 
he went away; it filled his people, and animated them 
with his own untiring zeal. 

In one way his people profited by these occasional 
journeys. He always brought back from them some- 
thing : " grapes of Eshcol," as his observations by the 
way were sometimes called, for the delectation of his 
congregation. This was true of his vacation journeys 

(279) 



2 80 



THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 



for health or pleasure as well as of those for business. 
His foreign tours were not entirely for self-gratification. 
They were made valuable to his people, since they 
afforded him an opportunity to study for their benefit 
various forms of Christian work in other lands. While 
in London he visited the Flower Mission, and brought 
back specimens of the text cards used there for the im- 
provement of the Flower Mission in St. Louis. He 
also visited the public schools of London, and inquired 
particularly in regard to the religious instruction given 
in them, and brought back, upon his return to St. 
Louis, a full account of it, to support his own views 
boldly urged upon the subject. 

So, likewise, in his visits to the East, to Boston and 
New York, he visited the book-stores and examined 
their latest publications, and brought back the most 
useful and attractive of them, to extract their richness 
for the instruction of his people. Thus he kept abreast 
of the age, and informed himself and them of its needs, 
and of the best means and methods of meeting them. 

These " spoils of travel " were oftenest displayed at 
the mid-week prayer-meeting ; the familiar style of ad- 
dress employed there being most favorable for their 
production. There he brought forth the richest of the 
feast which he had enjoyed while away ; and often his 
people were entertained and inspired by his reports of 
the great religious gatherings and scenes of interest he 
had attended. These reports were not mere dry sum- 
maries of what he had seen and heard. He had the 
faculty of briefly reproducing in picturesque, graphic 
language, the very spirit and essence of what he de- 
scribed. He possessed the artist's power of represen- 
tation. He laid hold of what was most important, 
characteristic, and impressive, and at a single touch set 



WORK IN ATLANTA, GA. 28 1 

it before his hearers, so that they too shared his profit 
and pleasure. 

In April, 1878, accompanied by Mrs. Goodell and 
" Father Paxson," the honored senior officer of Pilgrim 
Church, Dr. Goodell attended the International Sun- 
day-school Convention, held at Atlanta, Georgia. It 
was a remarkable religious gathering. The Convention 
was composed of more than five hundred delegates, 
numbering among them some of the most active and 
eminent men of the different evangelical denominations 
of the country. It was ably presided over by Gov. A. 
H. Colquitt, of Georgia, and it lasted through three 
whole days, with three sessions a day. Many of the 
addresses were very eloquent, full of pith and power. 
New plans and methods, experiences in Sunday-school 
work of every phase, all kinds of help and counsel 
conceivable were given out hour after hour, the interest 
and enthusiasm growing to the end, when it seemed to 
culminate on the last evening in the farewell address of 
Gov. Colquitt, which moved the great assembly to rise 
and enter with him into a solemn act of reconsecration. 

The address of Dr. Goodell on the occasion, was upon 
" Possibilities in the Future/' a theme congenial to his 
large faith and hopeful spirit, and characteristically 
treated in a speech of great power. " Father Paxson " 
also made one of the speeches of the occasion. Rev. 
Stephen Paxson, the famous Sunday-school missionary 
of the American Sunday-school Union, was a man after 
Dr. Goodell's heart. The story of his labors in organ- 
izing Sunday-schools in Illinois and Missouri, and of his 
faithful horse " Robert Raikes," which carried his mas- 
ter more than 100,000 miles while doing that work, is 
familiar in all the West. He was a man of sparkling 
wit and spiritual power. 



282 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Dr. Goodell's note-book has the following hints and 
thoughts, under date of St. Louis, May 5, 1878, his 
19th marriage anniversary. The list of eight virtues 
doubtless formed a self-reminder of what was due from 
husband and wife to each other in order to a happy 
marriage : 

Kindness ; Affection ; Sympathy ; Gentleness ; Help- 
fulness ; Thoughtfulness for others ; Cheerfulness ; 
Meekness. 

Domestic love and duty are the best security to all 
that is most dear to us on earth. 

We wind our life about another life ; we hold it closer, 
dearer than our own. 

It is a dear delight for the soul to trust in the fidelity 
of another. 

There has nearly always been a good wife behind 
every great man ; and as a rule, a man can be no greater 
than his wife will let him. 

I did not fall in love. I rose. 



THINGS WHICH BEAUTIFY LIFE. 

1. Love and fellowship. Love lightens burdens. 

2. Patience and forbearance in trial. How few are 
those who can suffer and be still. 

3. Painstaking in little things. Nature is beautiful in 
little things ; so is life. 

4. Generous thought for others ; the overflowing of 
the Nile. 

5. Trust and hope under sorrow in dark hours ; God 
has carried millions through. 



ADDRESS AT OBERLIN. 283 

Another long journey, taken by Dr. Goodell this 
year, was to St. Paul, May 8, to preach the installation 
sermon of his friend Dr. Dana, called to the North, 
west from Norwich, Ct. The sermon, on " The Source 
of the Christian Worker's Strength," is spoken of as 
" characteristic of the man, not only fitting, but spark- 
ling and stimulating." 

On Sunday evening, June 9th, of anniversary week 
of Oberlin College, he gave the usual " Missionary Ad- 
dress." He chose for his subject, " The Missionary 
Spirit lost in the Dark Ages, now recovered to the 
Church." " The whole tone of the address," says one 
who heard it, " was most encouraging, exhibiting a faith 
large, clear, and firm. In all respects it was the best 
commencement missionary address ever heard in Ober- 
lin." 

Being unable on account of other engagements to 
attend the meeting of his class at Andover Theological 
Seminary on the twentieth anniversary of their gradua- 
tion, which occurred this year, he wrote to Rev. E. P. 
Thwing, D.D., Brooklyn, N. Y., the class secretary, a 
brief account of his life and work since he left the 
seminary, to be read at their meeting. In it he said : 

In the twenty busy years since we graduated, I have 
had two happy pastorates and scarcely an idle day. In 
these twenty years I have not been ill so as to be away 
from my pulpit more than five Sundays. 

I thank God that He has been pleased greatly to bless 
my ministry in the salvation of souls and in the quicken- 
ing and edifying of His people. In the last ten years 
the additions to the church have averaged over one 
hundred a year ; and I have seen a stone church edifice 
erected and paid for in both of my parishes, at the cost of 



284 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

about $150,000 each, while the annual contributions to 
benevolence were not decreased. 

I record these things to the glory of Him from whom 
all our mercies are. I love my work. I love my class- 
mates every one. " I love Thy kingdom, Lord." I love 
God, Father, Son, and Holy Comforter, and I long to 
see Him in glory. My life, so broken and marred by 
sin in its early years, has been by the wondrous grace of 
God a blessed and joyous one. 

His annual summer vacation was spent this year at 
the East, at St. Johnsbury, and in Boston and its vicin- 
ity. He loved the sight and sound of the sea, and 
spent a part of the time at the sea-shore. He preached 
during the summer at the Berkley Street Church in 
Boston, and in Chelsea. 

A Vermont pastor, spending the Sunday in Boston, 
went to hear him, and in a subsequent letter to the 
Vermont Chronicle, gave a brief account of the sermon 
and his impressions of the preacher. The sermon was 
on the text, " It had been good for that man if he had 
not been born" (Matt. xxvi. 24). " ■ This text/ the 
preacher said, 'was the epitaph of Judas written by the 
Lord.' The sermon was a skillful analysis of the char- 
acter of Judas, with the practical warnings ingeniously 
interwoven — a method of application with many ad- 
vantages. A man does not have time to ward off the 
blow before he is hit. 

" I think the most noticeable thing about Dr. Goodell's 
preaching is a certain affectionateness and gentleness of 
manner, a certain indefinable way of getting his audi- 
ence into sympathy with him, perhaps because he is 
already in sympathy with them. His rhetoric is marked 
with poetical richness and fineness. He shows you the 
truth through the imagination rather than through the 



VISIT TO PLYMOUTH ROCK. 285 

logical faculty. You know it is the truth. It blushes 
with life and glows with beauty." 

During his stay in Boston, he made an excursion to 
the " Old Colony," Plymouth, Mass., and spent a day 
exploring the curiosities and visiting the chief places of 
interest in the town. His comments upon such facts 
and objects as he particularly noted are flavored with 
sacred learning, humor, and thoughtfulness. Speaking 
of the distance of the old town from Boston, he says : 

It is forty-three miles by rail down to Plymouth Rock, 
the birthplace of the American Republic — a little farther 
than from Jerusalem down to Abraham's oak at Mamre, 
in Hebron. But the country in either case looks about 
equally ancient. 

In reference to the well-preserved condition of 
Plymouth, he says : 

Happily it is small, and all the ancient landmarks 
may be clearly traced. They are not overlaid and cov- 
ered up, as in Boston, by the accumulations of a great 
city. Nothing has so little respect for sacred places and 
relics as trade. Had it once fairly set its foot in this 
home of the Pilgrims, it would have made mortar-pestles 
of Forefathers' Rock, and used Cole's Hill for a circus. 

Among the curiosities which he saw in " Pilgrim 
Hall," was a handkerchief worked by Lorea, the little 
daughter of Capt. Standish, with a verse worthy of 
being copied : 

" Lord, guide my heart, that I may do Thy wiL, 
And fill my hands with such convenient skill, 
As may conduce to virtue void of shame, 
And I will give the glory to Thy name." 



286 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

At the Registry of Deeds, in the Court-House, he 
saw " the records of the colonists from the beginning 
of their enterprise, in perfect preservation. The records 
show that the Pilgrims were educated, intelligent, clear- 
headed business men. All their affairs were fully- 
thought out and adjusted, and put in black and white 
for reference, like a successful enterprise of the present 
day ; so there was no opportunity for misunderstanding 
or contention. Here is found Gov. Bradford's order 
for trial by jury, and the first revenue law. All the 
civil processes of the young Republic are here in germ." 

Speaking of the early hardships and privations of the 
Pilgrims, he says : 

The first cattle were brought over four years latar. 
The milk of one cow was then divided among thirteen 
families. Think of the little children going four years 
without milk ! They had the " sincere milk of the 
Word " instead. 

To emphasize the tolerance of the Pilgrims and their 
descendants, he says : 

In 1873, a Roman Catholic church, with parish school, 
was erected in the heart of the town without hindrance. 
Near by is a quiet rope-factory. Had the Pilgrims thus 
planted their institutions in any Catholic country, they 
would soon have been compelled to stretch the hemp of 
the cordage walks ; but the Pilgrims give the liberty 
they ask, and trust their own cause to God and the 
truth. 

Of the monuments of Burial Hill, wnere the dust of 
the Pilgrims reposes, he says : 

The finest monument in the grounds has this inscrip- 






SIXTH ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 287 

tion : "Robert Cushman arrived here Nov. 9, 162 1 ; 
preached Dec. 9 on the Danger of Self-Love and the 
Sweets of True Friendship ; went back to England Dec. 
13, 1621." 

Besides the foregoing there was a sentence or two 
from the " Dedication " of the sermon referred to, 
which was carefully copied, as showing Robert Cush- 
man to have been a man after his own heart : 

" My loving friends, the adventurers to this plan- 
tation, as your care has been first to settle religion 
here, before either profit or popularity, so I pray you go 
on. I rejoice that you thus honor God with your riches, 
and I trust you shall be repaid again double and thribble 
in this world ; yea, and the memory of this action shall 
never die." 

On the sixth anniversary of his ministry in St. Louis, 
he reviewed, in an address to his people, the work done 
by the church since his coming to them. We give a 
few paragraphs from it : 

After six years of effort, we praise His great and won- 
drous name for the benefits He has conferred. God has 
permitted us to see the objects of our desire a thousand 
times beyond our desert. You expressed a desire to see 
the church membership reach five hundred souls. It 
now numbers more than that. You wished to see the 
church finished and the debts paid ; this has been done 
to the last dollar. You wished to see how this attractive 
auditorium would look filled with people ; you have had 
that happy sight. You wanted to see souls saved, spir- 
itual power manifest, unity and brotherhood supreme, 
and good work done for feebler churches, and the cen- 



288 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

tres of Christian influence strengthened along the fron- 
tier ; this, in some good degree, has been your privilege. 
I rejoice in your blessing, for I have sought to make the 
words of inspiration my motto. " Seekest thou great 
things for thyself? seek them not": Jer. xlv. 5. "Seek 
that ye may excel to the edifying of the Church ": 1 Cor. 
xiv. 12. 

The growth has been sure and steady year by year, 
and not feverish and spasmodic. There has been one 
revival year ; but the years, as a whole, have yielded 
simply the natural and legitimate fruit of constant 
prayer and effort in the regular appointed ways of 
church administration. Out of 551 members, 279 have 
joined on confession of faith, and 272 by certificate, or 
an average of 46 J- per year by conversion. Of these, 
123 were baptized on entrance into the church. This 
shows constant spiritual quickening, and a sound and 
healthy church life. These gains have been from both 
sexes, and of all ages and classes. Only one-third of 
the church members through the country, as a rule, are 
males. In this church, not greatly less than half are 
males — a large class of young men, as well as a great 
circle of adults. Hardly a family is there connected 
with the church, where one of the parents, at least, has 
not been brought to Christ in the last six years, or some 
of the young in them come into the fold. 

This large ingathering is the fruit of God's blessing 
upon the faithful service of many devoted ones, con- 
tinued in faith and courage steadily through summer's 
heat and winter's cold, year after year. Such a church 
must be stable and abiding so long as it abides in God. 
It is not a gourd grown up in a night around a great 
name, to perish in a night, except it forgets the source of 
its strength and trusts in its own wealth and wisdom and 
power ; then a gourd itself is not so frail. We stand 
not in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God. 



SIXTH ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 289 

The preceding review of their work and its gratify- 
ing success, was used by him as a stimulus to still 
greater labors. This, we have seen, was his habit. His 
occasional exhibits to his people in such reviews of 
what God had wrought through them, were not for the 
gratification of vanity in himself or them, but to in- 
spire them with new zeal and confidence. In conclu- 
sion he said : 

Our forces are enlarged, our opportunities are in- 
creased. May we multiply our usefulness, as God has 
multiplied His blessings. Christ and His Church are 
worthy of all our love and labor. 

In this spirit the work of that winter was entered 
upon and carried forward. Great blessings and much 
fruit were the result. In the year 1879 tne reported 
additions to Pilgrim Church were 105, most of them on 
confession of faith, and the fruit of the winter of 
1878-9. 

He had a band of earnest, efficient helpers in the 
church. Every Sunday-school teacher aimed to be a 
winner of souls, which they brought to the Standing 
Committee with joy before each communion season. 
These teachers were pastors to their little flocks, watch- 
ing over and laboring for their spiritual welfare with a 
faithfulness and ardor similar to that of the pastor of 
the church for the large congregation under his care. 
His spirit animated them all, or rather the Spirit of 
Christ inspired and actuated him and them alike. 

Encouraged by the success of this year and the signs 
of promise visible, he came to his vacation in the sum- 
mer of 1879 w * tn tne purpose of attempting larger 
things in the following autumn. 
13 



290 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

The vacation of 1879 was spent with Mrs. Goodell 
and their son, in travelling through Europe, visiting 
England, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, and France. 

To a young man about to be married, he writes : 

St. Louis, September 30, 1879. 

I returned to the city after a summer abroad, and 
found your delightful letter awaiting me. I read it with 
real joy, and enter most heartily into your happiness. 
It was as fresh and fragrant as a daisy with the dew on 
it and the sunlight in it just from the meadows, in its 
present and anticipated joy through the love of one 
who is to be yours. I congratulate you. She is a Chris- 
tian, intelligent, good, and loves you ; that is a grand 
inventory of qualities, and comprehends all the essen- 
tials. I am glad you have chosen so wisely. Many a 
young man is foolishly caught with some taking ways, 
and gets the frosting to the cake, and finds, to his sor- 
row, that there is no cake under it. Then it is all dough 
with him the rest of his life. 

Not the least of her valuable qualities, in my mind, is 
that she is a clergyman's daughter. She is quite sure 
to be sensible, to know the worth of money, to be intel- 
ligent and cultured, and to preside with grace and dig- 
nity, and becoming ease and sweetness in her home. I 
know what it is to have my heart deeply enlisted, and 
to marry the girl I wanted, and to be happier and hap- 
pier thereafter, and never repent for half a minute 
winning the best one in all the world. And so I am in 
condition to share your happiness with you, for you 
are doing just that thing exactly. It is a pure, ele- 
vating, inspiring, ennobling thing for a young man. 
It sets all his fine powers into play, makes him scorn all 
mean, low ways and aims, and leads him to be twice 
himself in manliness, in business capacity, and in mor- 
al and spiritual power. Next after the influence of 









LETTER TO A YOUNG MAN. 291 

Chiist upon the soul, stands the affection of a chaste, 
discreet, noble Christian woman, such as you are to 
wed. Cherish her as God's gift to you, and life will 
be a blessing and a benediction to you, and to many 
through you. 

Mrs. Goodell unites in kindest regards and best wishes. 
We shall hope to see her some day, and her picture quite 
soon ; and even now venture to send her our salutations. 
Sincerely yours, C. L. Goodell. 






XV. 
SEEKING TO SAVE 

1879—1880. 



" Say what is prayer, when it is prayer indeed ? 
The mighty utterance of a mighty need." 

—Trench. 

"A great man is made up of qualities that meet or make 
great occasions."— James Russell Lowell. 

" The man so eloquent of word, 

Who swayed all spirits near him ; 
Who did but touch the silver cord, 
And men perforce must hear him." 

—The Bishop of Derry. 



CHAPTER XV. 

REVIVAL UNDER MOODY AND SANKEY — NATIONAL 
COUNCIL IN ST. LOUIS. 

On his return to his work in the fall of this year, 
Dr. Goodell united with the other pastors of the city 
in an invitation to Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey to come 
to St. Louis and spend the winter in evangelistic work 
with the churches of the city similar to that in which 
they had united under the leadership of Mr. Hammond, 
with such success, six years before. To this invitation 
a favorable reply was received, and the evangelists 
entered upon their work in the beginning of the win- 
ter, cordially welcomed to the city and efficiently sup- 
ported during their stay of five months by the pastors 
of St. Louis. 

The following account of the work, v/ith various 
interesting particulars, is from the pen of Dr. Goodell. 
It was written in the fourth month of the work: 

God has visited His people in this city through the 
coming of our beloved brethren, Moody and Sankey. 
Forty ministers met them in conference the day after 
their arrival. The city was divided into five districts, 
grouping the churches thus for a month's work in each 
district. No tabernacle was desired, the object being 
to work in and with the churches, and to quicken the 

(2Q5) 



296 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

churches themselves into more active effort and higher 
spiritual life. The second service they held was blessed 
by the special presence of the Holy Spirit, and from that 
hour to this there has been no service in which there 
have not been inquirers and conversions in constantly 
increasing numbers. A great many cold Christians have 
been quickened. Persons formerly Christians in other 
places, but hiding the fact on coming here, and living 
apart from the Church, have appeared in great numbers, 
making confession of neglect and handing in their let- 
ters. They all bear testimony that their remaining out- 
side, to save time and money, has resulted in loss only — 
loss of money and social enjoyments and, above all 
things, of their joy in the Lord. One man made the 
statement when he handed his letter to his pastor, that 
that letter had cost him $35,000. " How can that be ?" 
said the pastor. The answer was : " When I came to 
this city I was worth that sum, but I hid away from God 
and His people and service to make money. But I lost 
it all and became estranged from God, and very un- 
happy. I have the feeling that if I had taken my stand 
for God as I ought when I came here, I should have had 
money still, and the peace of God in my soul. Now I 
come to begin all over again, starting with God." 

Mission work in the waste places and suburbs has 
been extended, and all kinds of Christian work in the 
city have been vitalized and multiplied many fold. The 
colored churches have received new life, and the great 
German population has become awakened and inter- 
ested in personal religion as never before in the history 
of this city. 

Early in the season the Germans got up a Moody and 
Sankey play. One, personating Mr. Sankey, sang ; an- 
other, representing Mr. Moody, gave a side-splitting ser- 
mon. Then they had inquirers and a bevy of converts, 
and at that point Satan came in on the stage and carried 



REVIVAL UNDER MOODV AND SANKEY. 297 

them all off and put an end to the scene, to the vast de- 
light of the audience. But now all this is changed. A 
revival German preacher, once a famous infidel, but 
marvellously converted, Von Schluembach, is preaching 
every day to thousands of Germans, in their own tongue, 
with most gratifying results. The work of Gospel tem- 
perance is also very effective, and meetings are crowded 
nightly with drinking-men. A canvass has been begun 
of the whole city, every house being visited, and parents 
invited to attend church and children the Sunday-school. 

The Globe- Democrat, having the largest circulation in 
the Mississippi Valley, prints every day a full report of 
the services and sermon, giving Mr. Moody an audience 
of a hundred thousand people, and the blessing result- 
ing from this is most manifest. 

Mr. Moody is discreet, courageous, effective, powerful; 
working day and night, month after month, with an 
energy and perseverance and wisdom only less remark- 
able than his love of souls, and his constantly fresh 
anointing from God for service. His work is marked 
for its spirituality, humility, modesty, and self-forget- 
fulness. Mr. Sankey maintains his part with equal ability 
and fitness. The singing draws very greatly, and im- 
presses all it attracts. The evangelists are both the tools 
of God, tempered in His own fires of discipline and love, 
for the greatest work of this generation. I heard the 
evangelists five years ago,, week after week, when the 
work was at its height in London, and I bear testimony 
that there has been a gain in them of breadth, condensed 
power of statement, exhaustiveness in presenting themes, 
and mellowness in Christian graces. There is the might 
of the tempest and the gentleness of the lamb ; the 
awful power and earnestness of truth, as in Christ's dis- 
course to the Pharisees, mingled with the moving ten- 
derness of tears, as when Christ wept over Jerusalem. 

I cannot do better than to give some specimens of the 
13* 



298 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

work as it has fallen under my own eye. I found a man 
in the inquiry-room weeping in the bitterness of his 
soul. He said he had not spoken to one of his sisters 
for two years, and to another for fourteen years. I 
kneeled with him in prayer, and he said : "O God, 
pity me because I have been so mean as not to speak 
to my dear, gentle, loving sisters. O, take all this 
stubbornness out of me ! " God did. That night he 
wrote penitent letters to both of them, and is now 
reconciled to them and to God. " My mother," he 
said, " used to put her hands on all our heads and 
pray together : but I have not prayed before for twenty 
years." 

A man who had lost a beloved daughter found life an 
intolerable burden. He came eight hundred miles from 
Texas, that light might again come into his soul. The 
darkness was completely banished, and he went home 
full of the joy of the Lord. 

I sat down by a man who was engaged in very solemn 
thought. He said : " My mother is eighty-four years 
old, and I am sixty. She has prayed for me ever since 
I was born, and I am a sinner still. I came two hundred 
and fifty miles to bid her good-bye forever, for she goes 
to Washington, and I shall never see her again. I can- 
not leave the city till I find her Saviour." We kneeled 
together in prayer, he making my words his own : u O 
Lord, I thank Thee for a praying mother. I bless Thee 
that Thou hast spared her eighty-four years to plead 
for me. Dear Lord, when I meet Thee in judgment, 
what excuse shall I give for holding back my heart from 
Thee ! " In the last sentence his voice was choked with 
emotion, and I left him alone with God ; but I soon 
learned that he had joy, and his mother had joy, and 
the angels in Heaven also. 

Only a few seats away a boy of seventeen was in tears 
over a letter just received from a praying mother, and 



REVIVAL UNDER MOODY AND SANKEY. 299 

then and there he consecrated his young life to God. 
Verily the mothers save more than the preachers. 

Two wealthy men, brothers, owners of a large grain 
elevator, became Christians during the week — one lead- 
ing the other like Andrew and Simon. On Saturday 
they sent round word to all the railway companies : "No 
unloading grain in our elevator hereafter on Sunday." 

A leading business man went home from an evening 
meeting, and was sleepless all night. So, also, the second 
and third nights. The following day he sent back 
$1,500, principal and interest, to a neighbor whom he 
had wronged, and that night he could hardly sleep for 
joy. The awful burden on his soul was removed, and 
rest came. 

An evil man came into the meeting with a revolver in 
his pocket, hoping to find and shoot an enemy he had 
been following several days. An arrow from the quiver 
of the Almighty pierced his soul. He gave the pistol to 
Mr. Moody, and now he comes every day with a Bible 
instead. He would have taken the life of a brother, 
and lo, Christ the Elder Brother has given the new life 
to him. 

At a crowded men's meeting, Mr. Moody asked all on 
the right side of the centre aisle to sing, and they did, 
faintly. Then he said to those on the left side : " Let 
us sing the same, and beat them," and they did clearly. 
" Now," he said, " let us all sing together, and beat our- 
selves." Then he gave out Greenville, and said : " I 
shall know whether you are church-goers or not by the 
way you sing this. If you can't make this ring, you have 
not been to church for fifteen years." In singing this 
the great congregation joined with wondrous zeal, and 
made a loud noise unto the Lord, and by this time the 
vast throng were won to Mr. Moody, and all alive for 
the sermon. 

In an inquiry-meeting a blatant infidel arose and be- 



300 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

gan to proclaim Ingersollism. Mr. Moody told him he 
had mistaken his place. He replied : "That is the way 
always ; you will not hear but one side, and are bound 
to have it all your own way." " I do propose to have it 
my way here," said Mr. Moody, "and men shall not 
blaspheme God in my presence if I can help it. And 
as to hearing but one side concerning the truth of the 
Bible, there is but one side to it. The Bible is God's 
Word, and God cannot lie." It was kindly spoken, but 
it was followed by a silence that could be felt. 

The influence which Dr. Goodell exerted over men, 
through his well-known large-hearted sympathy with 
people in perilous and difficult situations, had a good 
illustration during this season of religious interest. At 
an inquiry-meeting in Pilgrim Church, a workman was 
found who had been drawn in because he had heard 
that when the spire of Pilgrim Church was being built, 
Dr. Goodell many times in his public prayers asked 
protection for the men employed in the perilous work. 
As he was one of them, he had been deeply touched 
by this sympathy. 

In these revival scenes and labors Dr. Goodell was 
unusually active and efficient. " He had reduced the 
saving of souls," one of his colaborers says, " almost to 
an exact science. To him the Bible-promises of bless- 
ing on wise efforts at soul capture were as sure as his 
own existence. He studied human beings with relation 
to the new birth and the Christian life." 

With the departure of the evangelists and the close 
of the revival work, a new responsibility, that of caring 
for and training the converts won, devolved upon him 
and the other pastors of the city. The importance of 
this work is hardly second to the other. It is needful, 
in fact, to any permanent, considerable success from the 



REVIVAL UNDER MOODY AND SANKEY. 3OI 

other. Wise pastor that he was, Dr. Goodell deeply- 
felt this, and desired that all the Christian workers in 
the late revival should also feel and act upon it. He 
accordingly wrote and published at that time, in a re- 
ligious paper of the city, an appropriate article upon 
the subject, entitled " Apollos Watered." Mark the 
wisdom of it : " After Paul, then came Apollos. Apollos 
came after him with a work just as essential, and with- 
out which there could be no harvest. His work was 
the development of the crop sprung up from the seed 
sown. 

" It is much to plant, but the work is then only just 
begun. That is a short ministry. The watering re- 
quires the painstaking of years, and without it the best 
of planting comes to nothing. All our good churches 
have been made such by the watering of Apollos, and 
not alone by the brilliant services of Paul. The neces- 
sity and value of Apollos' service is not appreciated by 
the churches and in the ministry. The revivals of Paul, 
where multitudes are stirred and converted, come to 
much or little, according to the faithfulness and devo- 
tion of Apollos in his watering. Nothing planted ever 
so well, lives and thrives without this. 

11 Paul and his companion in song have been in our 
city through the winter planting, and God has given 
great increase. With the same fidelity let Apollos fol- 
low, watering all that has been planted, and God will 
give double increase. 

" This pastor may be asked if the meetings did his 
church good ? ' No,' he says. The reason is, he is 
not an Apollos, and did not water the plants. Ask 
another pastor near him the same question, and the 
answer will be : ' Yes, the meetings brought us great 
blessings/ He carefully watched over and watered 



302 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

his plants. ' He that watereth shall also be watered 
himself.' " 

As a result of the planting and watering of that 
winter, one hundred and fifty-five new members were 
received into Pilgrim Church during the year. 

The summer vacation of 1880, following such a year 
of strenuous toil, was spent with Mrs. Goodell in Cali- 
fornia. For the recuperation of his strength and nerv- 
ous power, he needed an entire change, and such diver- 
sion of thought and refreshment of mind as he was 
likely to find in that true ' wonder-land.' He visited 
while there the " Yosemite " and other places of inter- 
est, making San Francisco his point of departure. From 
the " Golden Gate " he looked over the great Pacific 
toward China and the " Isles of the Sea," and filled his 
heart with those thoughts of Christ's expanding king- 
dom, and the greatness of the present opportunity for 
the Christians of America, which gave such power and 
eloquence to his address to the National Council in 
the autumn, and his appeal for " A million dollars for 
Home Missions " a year later. 

But he did not give the summer entirely to rest. He 
supplied, during his stay in California, the pulpit of the 
First Church, San Francisco, then without a pastor; 
and his ministrations were so acceptable to the congre- 
gation that he received an urgent invitation to become 
their pastor. He not only preached on the Sabbath, 
but conducted the prayer-meetings of the church, with 
the exception of that week in which he went to the 
Yosemite. The prayer-meetings of that summer under 
his leadership will long be remembered by the church as 
approaching the ideal of what such meetings should be. 

In the autumn, after his return, arduous work awaited 
him. This was to prepare for the Fourth National 



NATIONAL COUNCIL IN ST. LOUIS. 303 

Council of the Congregational Churches of the United 
States, which was held in St. Louis this year, November 
nth to 15th, 1880. Its meetings were held in Pilgrim 
Church, and upon that church and their pastor most of 
the labor involved in the entertainment of the large 
number of delegates, and in making the various arrange- 
ments required for the convenience and the facilitation 
of the business of the Council, necessarily fell. Every- 
thing was admirably planned and happily executed. 
The writer was a member of the Council, and he well 
remembers the admiration of its members at the com- 
pleteness of the arrangements and the masterly way in 
which they were carried out. The genial urbanity and 
the genius for command exhibited by Dr. Goodell were 
remarked upon by all. He knew how to handle a large 
number of people, to direct or to control them, with- 
out the least suggestion of arrogance. One memorable 
instance will never be forgotten by the members of that 
Council. It was when the subject of " Ministerial Respon- 
sibility and Standing" was under consideration. In the 
discussion of this subject the Council became inextri- 
cably involved in what may be called a profitless wrangle, 
in which hour after hour was consumed to no purpose, 
except to show how foolish good men too fond of talk- 
ing may sometimes appear, and to waste valuable time 
urgently needed for the consideration of important busi- 
ness. When at last the majority of the Council had be- 
come weary and disgusted with the vain discussion, but 
knew not how to stop it, several having tried unsuccess- 
fully to do so, with the result of making the tangle of 
conflicting opinions more hopeless, Dr. Goodell arose, 
and with a few magical words dissolved the spell that 
had besotted and muddled the wits of the debaters, and 
liberated the assembly from their tedious contention. 



304 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

" In a manner as quiet as that of the prayer-meeting," 
says one who witnessed it, "he brought the Council 
face to face with the grandeur of the topics as related 
to the kingdom of Christ they were there to discuss, 
and in the presence of those great truths the Council 
almost instantly broke away from the excitement of 
the vexatious debate, and turned its eyes toward the 
claims of Christ's kingdom, as they lay all the way 
across the continent from Plymouth Rock to the Golden 
Gate." 

His prayer at the closing session of the Council indi- 
cated the possession of a still rarer power. Nothing 
like it has been heard in our great religious gatherings 
since the days of Dr. Edward Payson. It was referred 
to at the time by the editors and correspondents of our 
religious journals in their reports of the Council, as 
one of the most memorable and impressive incidents 
of the occasion. 

A correspondent of the Vermont Chronicle thus 
speaks of the circumstances under which it was made, 
and of the impression it produced : 

In the forenoon of the Sabbath the members had attended 
public worship in different parts of the city, according to their 
location or their choice ; in the afternoon they celebrated the 
Lord's Supper in Pilgrim Church, and in the evening held a 
missionary meeting in the same house. Dr. Chamberlain, then 
of Norwich, Conn., now of Brooklyn, made a splendid address, 
about an hour long, and held the fixed attention of the audi- 
ence. By this time I was greatly fatigued, as all the services of 
the day had been deeply interesting and, therefore, exhaustive 
of nervous energy. 

Then the pastor of the church, Dr. Goodell, was called on 
to make the closing prayer, and such <* grayer I have never 
heard before or since. I was listless when he began, but from 
the first sentence my attention was enchained. He took me- 



NATIONAL COUNCIL IN ST. LOUIS. 305 

and seemingly all in the vast assembly, right up to heaven and 
before the " great white throne." He poured forth his soul in 
thanks and confession and praise and adoration, as if he saw 
the invisible One. He was as a flame of fire. He seemed to be 
on wings, — the wings of faith and worship, and burning like a 
seraph with passionate and reverential love. I listened with 
wonder, and, I believe, partook in a measure of his spirit. I 
was absorbed entirely, except only a flitting fear that he would, 
as it were, fold his wings and drop to the earth, bringing us all 
down together ; but the fear was vain, for when he had opened 
his heart to God, he descended quietly and devoutly, his soul 
still looking upward toward the throne, till the close. It seemed 
as if the air and the aroma of heaven came down with him, and as 
we retired we could all say, " We have been with God to-night." 

" It was worth a journey to St. Louis," says Dr. 
Dexter of the Congregationalist, "to join with the 
gifted pastor of the Pilgrim Church in those petitions 

in which he led the Council up to heaven's gate 

In its tender recognition of the nearness of Christ to 
His people, and the vivid comprehension of the work 
now crowding upon them from all directions in build- 
ing up His people, the prayer seemed to reach and move 
every heart present, and brought tears to many eyes." 

His parting address to the Council was almost equally 
unique for its felicity and wisdom. In it, as Dr. Dexter 
says : " He voiced the culminating impulses of the hour, 
and compelled every one present to see and to feel that 
travelling toward the sunset from Plymouth Rock there 
is no 'frontier' to our responsibility to be thought of 
this side of the Golden Gate, — that it is ' bounded on 
the west by the day of judgment.' " 

One paragraph of this address, which is all that we 
can give, is worthy to be framed and hung up as a 
u declaration of principles" in every church of the Con- 
gregational denomination in the country : 



306 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOOD"ELL. 

I want to see the Congregational Church national. I 
want to see it going from ocean tc ocean. I want to 
feel that it sweeps the land. It has been sectional, it 
has been local long enough. All the doors are open 
north and south, east and west, over all the continent ; 
let us enter through ; let us take the land. We have 
been too much taken up with our own sort of people ; 
as has been said, we have been looking after the lost 
sheep of the house of New England. And men come in 
from some of these fields and say : " I don't find any- 
material for Congregationalism ; I don't find anybody 
from New Hampshire, nobody from Rhode Island out 
here, hardly anybody from Maine, only three or four 
from Massachusetts." No material for Congregation- 
alism ! Are not human souls there — a multitude of peo- 
ple lost and needing salvation ? Yes. Well, if that is 
not material for Congregationalism we had better stop 
housekeeping and shut up. Wherever there is a human 
soul to be saved, there the Congregational Church has 
a mission, and it is time to stop this talk about the lost 
sheep of the house of New England, and go for men 
that are out of Christ and need building up in the beauty 
and order of God, in the righteousness of Christ. 

One of the incidents connected with the National 
Council in St. Louis was a free excursion at its close 
to Springfield, Mo., the seat of Drury College, to which 
the members of the Council were invited by President 
Morrison, that they might be present and assist in the 
ceremony of laying the corner-stone of the new chapel 
for the college, erected through the munificent gift of 
Mrs. Stone, of Maiden, Mass. " At the last moment," 
says President Morrison, " a large number — larger than 
had been expected — decided to take the trip. Our 
three or four Pullman cars were crowded to overflow- 



NATIONAL COUNCIL IN ST. LOUIS. 307 

ing, and I found a larger job on my hands than I could 
well manage. Dr. Goodell exerted himself to entertain 
the visitors, and to make their trip as endurable as pos- 
sible. At Springfield the excursionists found, instead of 
the 'Sunny South' which they had expected, a fierce 
norther raging, with driving snow. We could not lay 
the chapel corner-stone in the open air because of the 
driving storm. So the one hundred and fifty visitors, 
and as many townspeople, tried to get into a room 
60x40 for the exercises. Dr. Goodell presided, and by 
his genial, joyful presence, and his unexpected words 
of cheer and welcome, raised the spirits of his audience 
from the zero-point to enthusiasm, and turned an im- 
pending defeat for the college into glorious victory. 
I think he never did me personally more signal ser- 
vice than that day. One secret of his power over men, 
and his splendid ability to achieve results, was there 
well illustrated — the ability to seize upon and control 
an exigency, to hold up before men the hopeful features 
of an undertaking or occasion, and make them forget 
the discouraging ones." 

It is said of Dr. Horace Bushnell that "there were 
years all through his life when a high tide seemed to set 
in to every mental inlet, and his work in all directions 
was great." Something like this may be said of Dr. 
Goodell — though, of course, the greatness of his work 
was of a different sort from that of Dr. Bushnell. It 
was one of practical achievements in the ministry rather 
than of authorship or achievement in literature. This 
year of 1880, distinguished by such labors and suc- 
cesses, may be reckoned one of those tidal years, 
and so may the two years following. Perhaps it may 
be more truly said that this year of 1880 marks the 
beginning of a new period in Dr. Goodell's life. It was 



308 THE LIFE OF COXSTANS L. GOODELL. 

a period of crowning success, of extraordinary enlarge- 
ment, and of new enterprises. The benevolent contri- 
butions of the church, which in the year 1879 were 
§9,318, this year rose to $25,883 ; and, instead of soon 
falling back to their former figures, they remained undi- 
minished, and even went higher in the subsequent 
years, showing a permanent advance. But the year is 
especially memorable as marking the entrance by Pil- 
grim Church and its pastor upon that remarkable work 
of church extension in St. Louis which signalized Dr. 
Goodell's pastorate. We judge that the movement 
grew out of the revival at the beginning of this year, 
under the labors of Mr. Moody, by which such a large 
addition of members was received into Pilgrim Church, 
greatly augmenting its working force, and by which 
also its evangelizing zeal was greatly quickened. Dr. 
Goodell, desirous to use that force and zeal to the 
best advantage, sent it forth in bands to capture and 
hold for Christ strategic points in different parts of 
the city. " Some pastors," says one of his people in 
explanation of his action, "gain great reputation by the 
building up of one large church, but his thought was 
to spread the Gospel by work at different points." 

It was the fiftieth year of his age. Instead of mark- 
ing " a dead line," it marks the fullness of his strength. 

THOUGHTS FROM HIS NOTE-BOOK. 

These days are bringing to some special opportunities, 
to some their best, to some their last. May they be im- 
proved. 

If you expect to get to heaven, lift. 

The changes needed do not begin with society, but 
with the individual. No regenerating society withou* 
regenerating the individual. 



THOUGHTS FROM HIS NOTE-BOOK. 309 

We cannot have Christian morality without the Chris- 
tian religion. 

Time, the test of character, test of faith, test of benev- 
olence, test of faithfulness, test of self-sacrifice. 
Matt. xiii. 21 : "but dureth for a little while." 

The stoop of Love — how it gladdens the heart, as with 
Pharaoh's daughter looking into the cradle of bulrushes. 
Go to the river's side where the poor, lost child is, and 
be a father or mother to it, if you would be happy to 
your heart's core. 

The truth taught me in childhood has stayed me in 
age. It came up to me in the hour of need, and held 
me and comforted me. 

Evil rushes in like a flood ; but God stays it when 
He will, and His victories are sure. How quickly God, 
when He pleases, can make the change from darkness to 
light in the soul — in the world. 

Satan shall be let loose for a season, but only for a 
season. 

Satan has his outbreaks on the earth. He stings the 
brain. 

Satan recruits his ranks from vagrants, Christ from 
the working poor. 

It was not a question in Christ's time of getting the 
masses to church, but of carrying the church to the 
masses. 

There are no little things in this life — no small meet- 
ings. 

I like to be where God plants His armies, and where 
His banners fly. 

Letting go of religious duty, little by little, has but 



3IO THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

one result — that is, to take the soul steadily and cer- 
tainly away from God. 

The church of twenty years hence is in the Sabbath- 
school of to-day — in the home of to-day. 

When a man ceases to learn, he ceases to teach. 

Christians ought not to be walking on earth looking 
up, but walking above looking down. 

Can they be classed as saints whose lives have no tend- 
ency to make a heaven of earth ? 

It is not you must, but you may — more privilege than 
duty. 

An artist was asked : " Which is your best piece ? " 
" My next." So one feels about his sermons. 

The Talmud is what the Rabbins have to say about 
the Bible. So our human theology is the Christian's 
Talmud. 

The need of constant cleansing from constant soiling. 

May we make the world better by living in it. We 
must hasten, for it will soon be too late. 

It is wrong to pray, to be seen of men ; but equally 
wrong to conceal that we pray. 



XVI. 

THE WORLD FOR CHRIST. 

1880— 1882. 



" If we suffer we shall also reign with Him." 

—St. Paul. 

" These years of peaceful prosperity in which we are quietly 
developing a continent, are the pivot on which is turning the 
nation's future." — JosiAH STRONG. 

" The faith that life on earth is being shaped 
To glorious ends." 

—George Eliot. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

ASSAULT UPON HIS LIFE— HIS PLEA FOR HOME MIS- 
SIONS AT SARATOGA — AMERICAN BOARD MEETING 
IN ST. LOUIS. 

Within a month after the close of the National 
Council at St. Louis, Dr. Goodell was the victim of a 
savage and murderous assault, which came near to 
bringing his life, so rapidly increasing in power and in- 
fluence, to an untimely and shocking close. 

He was walking on Tenth Street, St. Louis, on his 
way from Arnot's stable, where he had just been on an 
errand of business, to Olive Street, to take the horse- 
car home, late one Friday afternoon near the middle of 
December, when two men rushed upon him out of an 
alley-way, and one attacking him from behind knocked 
him down. He received a hard blow on the back of 
the head from a bludgeon, and this was followed by a 
round of blows, swiftly dealt upon his head and face as 
he lay prostrate on the ground, with the evident pur- 
pose of rendering him insensible and robbing him. 
Fortunately he retained his senses, and was able to cry 
loudly for help. A workingman, who was passing on 
the opposite side of the street, hearing his cries, ran at 
once to his assistance, anl the villains fled. Thus 
rescued, he was able to take a horse-car and proceed to 
his home alone; but when he reached there he was 
weak from loss of blood, and suffering severe pain from 
the injuries he had received. He was confined to the 
house by those injuries but a few days, and the wounds 
14 (313) 



314 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

he had received appeared soon to be healed, but it has 
been thought that he never really recovered from them ; 
that his brain received a hurt from the savage blows 
then given to his head which made him more suscep- 
tible to the stroke of apoplexy, from which he ultimately 
died. 

He was able to occupy his pulpit the first Sabbath 
of the new year, and preached on " The Voices of the 
Year": text, I Chron. xxix. 15. "We are strangers 
before Thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers : 
our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none 
abiding." When lying on the ground under the assas- 
sin's blows, he thought of death, and that his time to 
meet it might have then come. The sermon of the new 
year was prompted, perhaps, by the solemn vision of 
eternity which then, for a moment, flashed before his 
soul. In the closing words of the sermon he said : 

Foreigners in a strange land live under the constant 
thought and expectation of return. They keep their 
affairs ready ; they are under no surprise when sum- 
moned ; they have but few preparations to make ; it is 
easy to close up and go. 

Are we abiding here with such impressions and readi- 
ness ? Are we ready now ? We may go this week, this 
hour. Listen to the voice of the year, and be ready. 

His thoughts at that time continued to dwell much 
upon the subject of death, and how Christ has deprived 
it of its terrors and made it a friend to those who be- 
lieve in Him. 

In the following month, February 24, 188 1, he 
preached, by special invitation, the dedication sermon 
of the new North Church, St. Johnsbury, Vt., taking 
for his text the Scripture : " All things are yours— 



HIS THOUGHTS UPON DEATH. 3 I 5 

whether life or death," etc. (1 Cor. iii. 21-22). When he 
died, the circle of friends in St. Johnsbury were re- 
minded, for their comfort, of the passage in that ser- 
mon in which he had said : 

Does death belong to the Christian's capital ? Cer- 
tainly. It has been conquered by the cross, and made 
a friend and subject of the Christian Death re- 
lieves the Christian from sorrow and pain and care, and 
conducts to Christ. It is the bright point in every 
Christian's history. It is the hand which translates him 
to the world of glory, and the occasion of his everlast- 
ing joy. He owes it to death that his eyes are to close 
on the ills of earth, and open on the fruitions of heaven. 
It performs the last earthly benefit by taking us to our 
eternal home. 

He writes to Rev. Austin Hazen : 

March 22, 1881. 

Your letter was a joy to me, I thank you for your 
kind wishes. Not one pleasant memory has faded out 
of all our happy past, and often I long to see you and 
live over again the days gone by. When your great 
sorrow came, I deeply sorrowed with you ; and in all 
your sweet and precious anticipations of the golden day 
dawning when we shall pass from the cross to the crown, 
I am in increasing sympathy with you. Heaven grows 
nearer, and Christ grows dearer, and the glory grows 
clearer 

I have but one sorrow, and that is the years I spent 
away from God. And I thank you from my heart for 
all your kindness and patience and faithfulness to me in 
drawing me to Jesus. 

The most notable thing in the life of Dr. Goodell 
during the year 1881, was his appearance at the annual 



316 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

meeting of the American Home Missionary Society, 
May 8, 1881, and his delivery on that occasion of the 
remarkable address calling for "A Million Dollars a 
Year for Home Missions." 

That address obtained great celebrity at the time. 
Dr. N. G. Clark says of it : " No public address has 
ever had such power on the popular mind of this 
country. It struck a chord that vibrated from the 
Aroostook to the Golden Gate." The enthusiasm it 
created at the time was not transient. " It was a high 
note he struck," says Dr. Dexter, " but it was a key- 
note, the strong vibration of which is sounding still in 
every Congregational church worthy of the name." 
The Home Missionary Society published it in immense 
numbers as a tract, and scattered it all over the land. 
And such was the spirit and life pervading it that the 
printed address stirred its readers almost as much as 
the address spoken by the voice of the preacher did 
those who heard him. It is instinct with life and 
power. The subject was one which Dr. Goodell had 
long and deeply pondered ; his heart was full of it, and 
his address possessed all the qualities of discourse made 
under such conditions by a superior speaker. 

As a literary production it will bear careful study. 
Its style is forcible, picturesque, elevated. We believe 
that, like most of his productions, it was rapidly writ- 
ten. It was not any worse, but all the better on that 
account. " Such swiftness of mere writing, after due 
energy of preparation," says Carlyle, " is doubtless the 
right method ; the hot furnace having long worked and 
simmered, let the pure gold flow out at one gush." It 
is the work of a large-minded, earnest, gifted man, 
pleading eagerly for a great cause. The fire which 
burnt within his soul permeates it from beginning to 



PLEA FOR HOME MISSIONS. 317 

end. This breaks forth in almost every paragraph in 
flashes of wit, in brilliant epigrams, in splendid pas- 
sages of flaming eloquence, in " thoughts that breathe 
and words that burn." 

We are not able, for lack of room, to reprint the whole 
address. We can only cull from it a few specimen para- 
graphs, for the sake, especially, of those readers who 
never perused it, feeling sure that those who heard it 
and those who may have read it, will be glad to revive 
by means of them the quickening impulse which it first 
gave: 

God sometimes calls the smallest countries to the 
front : Palestine, Greece, Switzerland, Great Britain. 
Now He chooses the largest nation, because He has 
largest uses for it Our country would make to- 
day 311 kingdoms as large as that over which David 

ruled from his throne in Jerusalem Take it from 

sea to sea, and from lakes to gulf, it is as fair a land as 
ever the sun shone on — sure to swarm with people in 
every part. Now we- need to pierce all this golden air 
toward the Pacific, with rising church spires, and swing 
wide the doors of welcome to the work and worship 
of God. 

The present and pressing wants of the field are at 
least a million a year. The American Home Missionary 

Society is national, and not sectional One million 

dollars a year to this Society would be a glorious offer- 
ing to God out of our accumulating possessions. It 
would be as the dropping of feathers in the flight of 
our eagles toward the silver Pacific seas, marking the 
line of Christian empire ; or as green olive sprigs from 
the doves gathering at our windows, set in plains w r ider 
than France, and Germany, and England, where scarcely 
a Sabbath-bell rings, or a tree of life casts its shade. 
.... We want to plant the tree of life everywhere 



318 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

throughout this glorious domain. It is the springtime 
in our history, when the Gospel will most easily take 
root and come fastest to fruitage. 

This nation has the power which free institutions hold 
over the hearts of men. Its very name — free America, 
is invitation and promise to men. The hope that brings 
the multitudes here stirs in them a better life and lifts 
them to a higher manhood. As a rule, none come to 
this land whose hearts are dead in them, and where 
there are not the possibilities of better things. No 
nation on the globe has such hopes built into it, and to 
which so many look with eager expectation, and for 
which they pray with such heart-throb of affection. 
Wherever men are born, this soon becomes their native 
country. 

Business has vast interests at stake in the Christianiz- 
ing of this country. The nation has its life at stake, 
society its order, labor its reward, home its happiness, 
peace and prosperity its security. Let what will perish, 
let the nation be saved which carries the world's largest 
hope. 

Many ask, why not found their own schools and 
churches ? There must be a seed in order to a growth, 
and these people belong, as a rule, to that order of plants 
which have not the seed in themselves. Places which 
bear names like the following, really exist in back dis- 
tricts west of the Sierra Nevadas, some of which I have 
visited : Red Dog, Loafer Hill, Poker Flat, You Bet, 
Whiskey Gulch, Puppy Town, Gouge Eye, Yankee Doo- 
dle, Wildcat Bar, Greenhorn Canon, Nutcake Camp, 
Seven-up Ravine, Fiddletown, and Pokerville. Imagine 
the denizens of these localities getting together and 
reading up Dexter on Congregationalism, and organiz- 
ing a church, building a meeting-house, and sending to 
Prof. Park, of Andover, for a pastor ! If a ministerial 
paper- reader should come along some Sunday, with bis 



PLEA FOR HOME MISSIONS. 319 

manuscript, he would need to be lively in unrolling it — 
before his audience got at the game of poker, or broke 
for a drink. 

Nothing is impossible to the American citizen. He 
knows no hindrances ; he yields to no obstacles. It 
takes an earthquake to stop him. There should be no 
impossibilities to the American Christian. He is the 
anointed king and lawgiver to this nation. He has but 
to rise and walk to his throne and crown, and create the 
means under God as he goes. 

Emigration moving Westward is the guide-post to 
duty, set up by God's own hand. Let the progress of 
our missionary work be equal to the march of events 
and the thickening necessities of the hour. God, in de- 
manding the evangelization of this Republic, takes the 
long look, and we need to see from His view-point. He 
requires us to carry His Gospel through to the Califor- 
nia shore, for the interests of His kingdom which lie 
beyond California in Japan, and China, and the islands 
of the sea. God is moving on Asia by the way of Plym- 
outh Rock and the Golden Gate. He means in this, 
not good to the new world alone, but to the old as well. 
America for the sake of Asia. 

The Pacific coast to-day is the supreme point of in- 
spiration on this continent. Listening to the songs of 
this sounding, mighty sea, one rises nearest to God, and 
catches most of His thought and purpose in this new 
world. The Gospel that saves America has already 
gone far toward the redemption of the whole Orient. 
The work has begun. The pillar of cloud and fire which 
has led God's people forth to the new world rests above 
the glittering Sierra Nevadas, throwing its brilliance far 
out on the sea, and gilding the temples and pagodas of 
the most renowned paganism, in preparation for its fall. 
It points us to our way and work, and interprets to us 
God's wonderful ways of redemption in the earth. 



320 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

During the summer vacation of 1 88 1 Dr. Goodell 
went with his wife to Chautauqua. He often visited that 
famous summer resort, and frequented its assemblies, 
and sometimes his name appeared on its programmes 
among the corps of lecturers. When asked why he went 
there, he replied : " I go where the people go." He 
lost no opportunity to learn how to adapt truth to the 
common mind. 

In the fall of the year 1881, the American Board of 
Foreign Missions held its annual meeting in St. Louis, 
occupying the spacious house of worship of Pilgrim 
Church as the principal place of assembly and business. 
The same generous hospitality and ample arrangements 
shown the preceding year to the National Council were 
now offered on a larger scale to the American Board. 
Nothing was lacking to complete the comfort of their 
guests, or the success of the meetings. The maps, show- 
ing the different fields occupied by the Board, and 
the appropriate mottoes, suspended from the galleries, 
formed an interesting adornment of the audience-room. 
Dr. Goodell, as the pastor of the church, and the lead- 
ing representative of Congregationalism in the city, 
won the gratitude and admiration of the strangers from 
abroad by the courtesy with which he greeted them 
and labored for their comfort, and by the efficiency he 
exhibited in the conduct of those affairs upon which 
the progress of business depended. He was, as repre- 
senting his church in its hospitality, an ideal host ; and, 
as the head of the business committee, a marvel of ex- 
ecutive ability. Dr. Alden, the Home Secretary of the 
Board, says that his manner of giving notices was so 
unique and felicitous, that they were reckoned among 
the most interesting events of the meeting. When- 
ever he appeared to make announcements of services 



AMERICAN BOARD MEETING, l88l. 321 

or special business, there was a hush of eager attention, 
in anticipation of the bright, happy comments with 
which they were accompanied. 

His farewell address at the close of this meeting was 
as interesting as that given the year before at the close 
of the National Council. The following paragraphs 
formed a part of it : 

Wordsworth has said that the sea-shell, though far 
inland, when placed to the ear sings of the sea. The 
American Board of Foreign Missions is a sea-shell sing- 
ing to us inland the song of the great world's redemp- 
tion — of continents and islands beyond our sight res- 
cued by grace. 

It is God who shapes all these events. A friend has 
pointed out, in a recent French edition of a German 
work on Columbus, the fact that when his little fleet 
was far on toward the west, a flock of birds passed be- 
fore him toward the northeast. He turned his fleet in 
the direction whence they came and soon discovered San 
Salvador ; otherwise his course would have led him to 
Virginia. So Spanish rule and greed and lust were 
turned away, and this vast territory of ours was left free 
to civil liberty and the Protestant faith. Was ever flight 
of birds more important in the results of history ? But 
God is shaping all the currents of human affairs to the 
exaltation and glory of His dear Son. 

It is very fitting that this meeting should occur in St. 
Louis. From Samuel J. Mills came the first conception 
of this Board. He was a leading spirit in all its earliest 
councils till organized. Then, with Rev. Daniel Smith, 
he rode over 1,200 miles on horseback through morass 
and jungle till he reached this city, where in 1814 he 
preached the first, or among the very first Protestant 
sermons. It was a little French town of mud and log 

14* 



322 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

huts. The few Protestant families desired him to re- 
main, but instead, Rev. Salmon Giddings, of Connecti- 
cut, came and organized the first Protestant church, and 
lived to organize a group of seventeen churches So 
Protestantism, here, was born of the American Board. 
In coming here for this meeting, it is coming to its own. 
The cordial hospitality extended by these pastors and 
churches is the bread which the missionary Mills cast 
upon the waters, coming home after many days. 

After the guests had all gone, he sat down and wrote 
to the Advance : 

It is a blessed thing to have the American Board 
come to any city. The preparation for it is a loving 
labor. The presence of it is an inspiration, and the 

memory of it is a joy forever It is not a difficult 

and burdensome work to entertain the Board. There is 
no mountain about it, only " the mountain of the Lord's 
house," which Jehovah himself builds for the time ; and 
the sense of weariness and care is lost in the delight in 
seeing the hosts of the Lord flow in, and the light and 
cloud of His presence on the summit. Some magnify 
the work, and say : It is a good thing to have had, but 
a great trial to have ; like riding on a camel — a happy 
thing in retrospect, but fearful in the doing. I stoutly 
deny all this, and pity any soft soul that calls such toil 
for Christ and His people and His kingdom enduring 
hardness. It is a great privilege 

The meetings steadily rose in elevation of thought 
and warmth of feeling to the last. The influence of the 
thirty-eight missionaries present from every land and 
the islands of the sea was very marked and precious. 
For nine successive sessions of three hours each, we 
were taken up into the high places of the earth, and 
granted a view of Christ's kingdom as wide as the 



THOUGHTS FROM HIS NOTE-BOOK. 323 

world, made to feel a righteousness deep as His throne, 
and to behold a vision of His glory lasting as eternity. 

Such a meeting as that of the American Board cannot 
be gotten up to order, no matter what speakers are 
gathered for it. It is the blossom of more than half a 
century of prayers and consecrations and sacrifices for 
Christ. Its roots run down to the Rock of Ages. Its 
sheaves are garnered from every land. Its faith reaches 
to that within the veil : that is the secret of the wonder- 
ful spiritual power and uplift of its feasts. 

THOUGHTS FROM HIS NOTE-BOOK. 

I am thankful we live in this greatest missionary cen- 
tury since the world began. 

David never complains in the Psalms because he is 
not praised, not appreciated, not made enough of. It is 
real grievances that trouble him. 

Each generation must be trained. Our children will 
be no better than we make them. 

The man that enjoys a thing owns it. 

Expect the faults of Christians, and do not be sur- 
prised, but help them. 

Think of the work going on here in God's kingdom ; 
see the examples of faith and love and consecration, and 
prayer answered, and sacrifices made, and sins forgiven, 
and money bestowed, and temptations resisted, and 
work done, and deep communions of soul with God. 

Freedom in religion is not freedom from religion. 

Our young men ; what can we do for them ? 

1. Love them : " Jesus loved him." 2. Speak to them. 
3. Pray for them. 4. Make them feel they are wanted. 
5. Put them into service. 6. Load them with responsi- 
bility, and give them a chance to learn by failure and 



324 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

success. It is the only way they can grow and mature, 
to put them in and let them try their hand. 7. Expend 
for them time and money. 8. Be on the watch for them. 
In turn, let the young men avoid bad associates, and 
make friends of nature, health, Providence, God, angels, 
books, good people, Bible, Sabbath day — all good forces 
and intelligences and powers. 

One true Christian life will do more to prove the di- 
vine origin of Christianity than many evidences ad- 
dressed to the reason. 

Believers have a life which death can never touch. 

May we keep our eyes on God, not on our difficulties. 
The glory of the end will cause us to forget the rough- 
ness of the way. It is cheering to think of the place we 
are going to. 

No nation is ever greater than its religion. 

Self-made Christians are very apt to worship their 
maker. 

Every door of the heart must open on the inside. 

Fiery trials make golden Christians. God perfects 
His children in the school of suffering. 

Preach morality and not Christ, some say ; but Christ 
is the source of all true morality. The man who comes 
to Christ stops drinking, stops cheating and lying and 
swearing. 

No Christian has a right to reckon his contributions 
to the cause of Christ as among his optional or super- 
fluous duties. 

Lager-beer is the devil's kindling-wood. 

Man never does anything while he carries a heart of 
lead. 

Let three doors be open here : the door of the church, 
the door of the pew, the door of the heart. 



XVII. 
HOW TO BUILD A CHURCH 

1882— 1883. 



" Who from no task of Christ soe'er, 
True soldier, sought indulgence ; 
To him it wore so grand an air, 
Was lit with such effulgence." 

— The Bishop of Derrv. 

" The soil out of which such men as he are made is good to 
be born on, good to die for, and good to be buried in." — J. R. 
Lowell. 

" He most lives who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the 
best ; and he whose heart beats the quickest lives the longest." 
— James Martineau. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

SUMMER VACATION OF 1 882 — A. M. A. ANNIVERSARY, 
CLEVELAND — TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS SET- 
TLEMENT — FESTIVAL OF SONS OF VERMONT, 
CHICAGO— HOME MISSIONARY ANNIVERSARY OF 
1883, SARATOGA — ADDRESS AT ANNIVERSARY OF 
THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, ANDOVER. 

The summer vacation of 1882 was spent where most 
of his vacations were, in the East. In the course of it 
he visited St. Johnsbury, Boston, Chautauqua, etc. 

While in Boston he was invited to address the Con- 
gregational Ministers' meeting in regard to their de- 
nominational work, as it appeared to him from his 
point of view in St. Louis. As usual, his address was 
eagerly listened to, and made a profound impression. 
The Congregationalist of that week said of it : 

Dr. Goodell, with voice as sweet as an ^Eolian harp, but 
words weighty and full of fire, spoke for above half an hour on 
the outlook from St. Louis. " We have a great mission, and a 
great mission makes great men. The Christian ought to be a. 
king to-day," etc. He also emphasized the need of giving. 

At Chautauqua he gave a series of addresses upon 
Methods of Christian Work. From there he writes to 

Mrs. Goodell : 

Chautauqua, August, 1882. 

My dear Wife : — It is Sunday, p.m., in beautiful 
Chautauqua, cool and lovely. The multitudes are here. 
I passed by our old door here at the hotel, and felt lone- 
some. How sweet it would be to have you here. I 

(327) 



328 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

have done all my work, and one address more, and God 
has helped me. Prof. Churchill, of Andover, sits with 
me at table. John B. Gough, Bishop Simpson, Dr. 
Hopkins, Anthony Comstock, Frank Beard, and a mul- 
titude of friends are here. All send love to you. 1 am 

praying mightily for . My heart of hearts is yours. 

I recognize the great work you are doing, and esteem it 
as for Christ's sake. I shall be happy when I see you. 
My joy in life is in being with you. I shall find a letter 
from you at the Congregational House, Boston. 

Ever, ever yours, C. 

In October of this year, 1882, Dr. Goodell preached 
the opening sermon at the annual meeting of the A. 
M. A. at Cleveland, Ohio. His subject was, " More 
Power from Christ for the World's larger Needs." 

After announcing his subject, he said : 

I am here to say that nothing can take the place of 
this Gospel power ; neither the machinery of societies, 
nor any human method ; neither philanthropy nor eras 
of good feeling. These are as moonlight unto sunlight. 
We must have new life in the soul. 

The following passage contains, in brief, the sub- 
stance of the discourse : 

Our work lacks momentum because our piety has 
too little spiritual force to carry it. It is under-weight. 
We shall make progress in work as we make prog- 
ress in grace, and wrestle out victories in our own 

souls on our knees Every addition to Christian 

character is enlargement on the field. More of Christ 
in the heart, more missionaries and teachers and 
money. Greater the power from God, greater the 
triumph over opposing forces all along the line. The 



TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF SETTLEMENT. 329 

opposition is mostly in our own hearts and exchequer, 
not with African, Indian, or Mongolian The de- 
lay is not because of miasmatic fevers and Chinese walls, 
but because of the unreadiness within : spiritual force is 
spent. The next era of advance must be by invigorat- 
ing our Christian love and zeal. American missionary 
work was born through wide-spread revivals. Revivals 
are needed for its continuance and expansion. Shafts 
of Christian life must be sunk deeper into the Rock of 
Ages. Our wells of salvation must be lowered where 
spiritual drouth never comes. We must so live in Christ 

that the water shall be ever flowing 

u Some use Christ as a medicine to cure their diseases," 
said an ancient disciple. " Christ should be the soul's 
food." When Christ is the feast of the soul, and not its 
medicine, the heart leaps mightily to its work, and takes 
in the world as love's trophy for the Lord. This is the 
power needed for service. 

November 2J, 1882, was celebrated by Pilgrim Church 
as the tenth anniversary of Dr. Goodell's settlement 
with them as their pastor. The occasion was one of 
great interest and pleasure to the church, and the nu- 
merous friends and invited guests that participated in it. 
It was memorable for the size and brilliancy of the con- 
gregation assembled, the beauty and appropriateness of 
the floral decorations, the high character of the speeches 
and other literary exercises, and especially for the 
summary exhibited of the work achieved by the church 
during the ten years that Dr. Goodell had been with 
them. This summary was presented in an interesting 
address by Judge Warren Currier, the principal speaker 
of the evening. Most of the facts and items which en- 
tered into it have been set before the readers of this 
volume in the progress of the narrative to this point ; 



33Q 



THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 



we need not repeat them. Two or three statements 
found in it may, however, be given : 

The little church of 115 has grown to 810, its small Sunday- 
school to 710, and its Sabbath congregation, as recently reported 
by the Globe-Democrat, to be the largest in the city. 

The record shows that the Pilgrim Church and people have 
raised and distributed in the aggregate, in the last ten years, 
for religious, educational, and charitable purposes external to 
itself, the sum of $138,218.65. 

The following transcript from the " record " will ex- 
hibit, in detail, the charitable work of this period, and 
its increase and variation from year to year : 



u 

> 


Home 
Mis- 
sions. 


Foreign 
Mis- 
sions. 


Church 
Building. 


Christian 
Educa- 
tion. 


Sabbath 
Schools. 


Commu- 
nion 

Collec- 
tions. 


Miscella- 
neous. 


Total. 


1873 


$1,666 30 


$7" 33 


$271 99 


$730 49 


$298 66 


$165 06 


$1,052 26 


$4,896 09 


i«74 


2,102 90 


769 40 


954 5° 


1,997 78 


728 69 


308 25 


1,682 32 


8,543 84 


1H7.S 


1.720 01 


576 90 


49 73 


3,772 90 


558 33 


303 21 


3,45o 20 


9,9" 28 


1876 


3,778 80 


809 15 


375 00 


5,830 00 


701 00 


311 18 


527 43 


12.632 56 


1877 


3,4oo 93 


792 70 


475 001 1,842 00 


803 72 


356 55 


684 42 


8,355 32 


1878 


1.737 ° 2 


602 36 


106 70 


1,445 10 


723 97 


276 53 


483 67 


5,405 35 


1879 


1,830 10 


432 15 


I.2IS 39 


3,889 85 


687 80 


296 25 


966 34 


9v3i7 68 


188c 


4,491 80 


i,i34 44 


1,000 00 


480 00 


1,694 94 


406 16 


«7,3'3 53 


25,882 87 


1881 


4,698 20 


1.657 23 


9,7 X 5 97 


2.548 37 


564 10 


520 14 


399 84126,638 85 


1882 


11,295 20 


1,436 90 


3,585 00 


5,091 50 


9H 25 


442 61 


4,085 29 


26,850 65 



Appropriate speeches were also made by other mem- 
bers of Pilgrim Church, by Dr. Simeon Gilbert, and 
Rev. Robert West of Chicago, and by several of the 
pastors of the city, present as invited guests. Letters 
were read from President Morrison of Drury College, 
Dr. H. M. Dexter of Boston, President Sturtevant, and 
others. In President Morrison's letter were these words : 
"The anniversary that you joyously keep belongs to 
us also. Without Pilgrim Church, and without Dr. and 
Mrs. Goodell to serve that church in the Gospel, Drury 
College probably had never been." 



TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF SETTLEMENT. 33 1 

Poetry and song lent their charms to the occasion — 
an original hymn set to appropriate music, and an orig- 
inal poem, by members of the congregation, serving to 
express their united gladness and grateful appreciation 
of the work of their pastor. The following lines from 
the poem are worthy of being preserved for their truth- 
ful characterization of the pastor and his ministry to 
them : 

" Oh, pastor ! friend ! to whom we bring 
This greeting from our hearts to-night; 
Yours was the face, the hand, the voice, 
That gave our life its happiest light. 

"You've helped us all our burdens bear, 
And never wearied night or day; 
You've turned our thoughts and hearts aside 
From earth and pain to heaven away." 

To the various encomiums bestowed upon him and 
his work, Dr. Goodell made happy reply : 

" To my brethren in the ministry," he said, " for their 
generous recognition of service rendered, I return the 
thanks of my heart. How you can say what you have 
and keep a clear conscience I leave to you. You have 
been measuring the work of this church, but I do not 
forget that God will weigh it in His balance, and that 
in spite of its fair seeming it will in many ways be poor 
and unworthy in His sight." 

Referring to a saying of Bishop Wilberforce, that 
when he saw a minister who had preached to one peo- 
ple ten years he took off his hat to him, he said to his 
people : 

When I see a flock that has been content to be fed and 
led by one shepherd ten years, I take off my hat to them. 



332 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

They have certainly the virtues of patience and for- 
bearance. I have found it hard to bear with mvself 

these years My life in your service has been a 

joyous one That pulpit is to me the grandest 

spot on earth. How often is my soul thrilled by the 
majesty and power of God's book ! If a Christian man, 
with a happy home, a library of choice books, a circle 
of true, intelligent friends, and work enough to do for 
God and humanity, cannot be happy, he has no place in 

the ministry There has been unity and cordial 

fellowship here. We have never been left without the 
converting and comforting presence of the Holy Spirit, 
.... here is our hope for the future Our clos- 
ing word, he said, as we look back on the record of 
the decade behind us, shall be a prayer from the Psalter 
of David : " Strengthen, O God, that which Thou hast 
wrought for us." .... 

Such occasions, when observed in a right spirit, are 
profitable to pastor and people and all concerned. 

It was so in this case, and the hope expressed by 
Judge Currier at the close of his address, " that these 
exercises and this anniversary and the memories they 
awaken may impel us onward to a higher, more conse- 
crated, more heroic future," was fulfilled. The good of 
it appeared in many ways. It cemented the congrega- 
tion more firmly than ever together ; every department 
of church work received a new impulse, the work of 
church extension continued to go energetically forward, 
the love of the church and congregation for the pastor 
was deepened, and his influence over them for good was 
strengthened. 

One other result came from it, of great profit to a 
multitude of pastors and churches in this land, for 
which they will always be grateful. Rev. Robert West 



"HOW TO BUILD A CHURCH. 333 

of the Advance, said to Dr. Goodell, as he left to go 
home to Chicago : 

Write a series of articles for the Advance on " How to Build 
a Church." It has been given you to see two churches built up 
widely apart, one in the conservative and solid East, and the 
other in the progressive and swiftly moving West. I believe it 
will do good to tell in the Advance how it has been done. 

The proposal thus made was acted upon. "The 
articles were undertaken, and written by snatches in the 
busiest of winters, amidst ever-pressing duties and cares 
within the church and without." Such is the account 
of their origin which Dr. Goodell gives in the Preface of 
the little book, " How to Build a Church," which was 
published in 1883. The articles thus written and first 
published in the Advance were gathered up, and to 
them were added three others on kindred subjects that 
had been previously contributed to the Congregational- 
ist by Mrs. Goodell, and the sheaf so formed made the 
suggestive volume above referred to. 

Dr. Goodell's part in the volume consists of seven 
brief chapters and a Preface, covering in all a little 
more than fifty pages. "The pages," says their author, 
u contain only hints and suggestions, and are, of course, 
very limited and incomplete." But notwithstanding 
this they contain the substance of an extended treatise 
on Pastoral Theology. We. therefore, recommend the 
book to all pastors who wish to learn the secret of 
" How to Build a Church." It is not to be treated as 
light reading if one would get much good from it. Any 
one of its seven chapters may be quickly read, in ten or 
fifteen minutes. But he who so reads it will receive 
only a small fraction of the instruction that is in it, and 
probably lay down the book in disappointment. It need? 



334 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

to be studied and pondered, sentence by sentence. Often 
in one sentence the substance of a full paragraph or 
chapter is condensed. The heat and pressure under 
which they were written allowed only what was essen- 
tial to be in them. They are like crystals formed by 
fires so intense and under conditions so rigid, that every 
non-essential particle has been eliminated. 

In reading the book the Preface should not be skip 
ped. It contains some of the most important matter. 
The following sentences are samples : 

It is important to see that our failure, when we fail, 
lies in our own want of faith in God. What will suc- 
ceed in one place will, as a rule, in another. The failure 
is not so often from want of ability or learning or right 
location as it is from the want of deep, believing piety. 

Many workers often comfort themselves too easily 

Little matter, they say, about success ; that is God's 
part, — the great thing is faithfulness The faith- 
fulness which God rewards is that which is not content 
till it brings results to pass. It is never satisfied to tread 
the old rut, year after year, making it deeper, while the 
churches are gradually decaying and dying under it. 
The truth is, faithfulness is success. It never stops with 

routine It stands knocking until Christ comes in 

and unveils His beauty, and fills the parish with a sense 
of divine power, making all things new. 

There were three public occasions in the year 1883, 
at which Dr. Goodell appeared in prominent parts. 
They were the annual festival of the Sons of Vermont, 
at Chicago, January 17; the annual meeting of the 
American Home Missionary Society, at Saratoga, in 
the first wjek of June; and the anniversary of the 
Theological Seminary at Andover, Mass., the second 
week of June. 



FESTIVAL OF SONS OF VERMONT. 335 

Of the first we have an interesting account, written 
for the Congregationalist by Dr. Simeon Gilbert, him- 
,self a son of Vermont. He writes: 

The annual banquet of the Sons of Vermont has come to be 
one of the notable institutions of Chicago. There is no other 
similar gathering here which comes near it in representative 
interest. The one held Wednesday evening, January 17, at the 
Palmer House, was the sixth reunion of the " Illinois Associa- 
tion of the Sons of Vermont." Over three hundred gentlemen 
and ladies were present. Any one at all curious to examine 
and see how it is that these imperial commonwealths of the in- 
terior and West have come by their fundamental strain of 
character, and tendency and leadership, could find nothing 
more instructive than such a gathering as this. Vermont is a 
little State, and has considerably less population than this city 
(of Chicago) ; and yet it is a pretty big school, a kind of normal 
school — a universal seminary. Education has been its forte. 

The speech of the evening was made by Dr. C. L. Goodell, of 
St. Louis. Of course it was immensely felicitous : but, of 
course, too, it was a speech with a purpose. " Vermont," he said, 
" was widening out every way majestically. The capital of Ver- 
mont was Chicago. The principal cities of Vermont were Bos- 
ton, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Albany, and Cleveland, and its 
metropolis was St. Louis. On Mt. Mansfield, last week, the 
wind blew at the rate of 144 miles an hour, which was pretty 
good time to regulate a Chicago business man. 

" But life is not all pleasant. We live in an age when great 
privileges are ours. We are called upon as no other generation 
has been called upon, to use our privileges. Important and 
weighty duties rest upon us all in this age. 

" God has placed us in positions where we can be of great 
good to our kind, and to the world. Back in Vermont a moth- 
er taught me to honor God, and to be thankful for the many 
gifts that surround us. There is one spirit that should mani- 
fest itself in all our actions, and that is that the world may be 
better by our having lived in it. 

" Vermont is the home of schools and colleges. Paul, on his 
way to Damascus, received light that has been illuminating the 



336 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

world during all these centuries. In this country our brick 
colleges are shedding light which reaches around the world. It 
penetrates every community, and with the joy and peace of a 
Christian life, radiates the whole land." 

Dr. Goodell's personal testimony to his supreme loyalty to 
Christ was as bold and manly as it was graceful and impressive. 

The Home Missionary Anniversary for the year 1883 
was memorable for the proposal then made of an 
" Emergency Fund" of $100,000, in addition to the 
$400,000 demanded for ordinary uses, for the purpose 
of strengthening and extending the Society's work, es- 
pecially in the Southwest. Dr. Goodell supported the 
proposition in a speech at the meeting, and, that the 
greatness of the emergency might be better understood 
by the churches of our faith and the Christians of the 
land, advocated the publication of a pamphlet or book 
upon the subject. 

In his speech, as reported in one of the religious 
papers of the time, Dr. Goodell said : 

These are years of destiny. We are making history. 
The first century of Christianity was proved by miracles. 
This latest century of Christianity is proved by achieve- 
ments. We must work faster or we shall go down. 
God has planted this nation and given Christianity 
here its greatest opportunity. The money must come 
to us before we can accomplish under God what we de- 
sire. When we have a good thing we want to show it. 
If you want more grain, plant wider. The way to bring- 
more money to this Society is to plant wider. You must 
publish accounts of the work. You must fill the land 
with publications of your Home Missionary Society. 
My church pledges a thousand dollars to this printed 

work When God wants a great nation He loads 

it with responsibility. The money must come or the 



ADDRESS AT ANDOVER. 337 

missionaries cannot go out. We want men equal to 
the work. We want strong, earnest men. God is here 
working out the problem of the ages with us. If we 
trust in the Lord God omnipotent, all will be well. 

By reason of the pledge of $1,000 thus made, the 
officers of the American Home Missionary Society se- 
lected Rev. Josiah Strong, D.D., to prepare a work on 
the subject spoken of; and the result was that remark- 
able book of Dr. Strong's, " Our Country," which has 
produced such a profound impression throughout the 
land, its sale already having reached the number of 
70,000 copies. If Dr. Goodell had done no other ser- 
vice to the Christian world than to encourage, through 
his pledge on behalf of his church, the preparation and 
publication of that work, which was first issued as a 
pamphlet by the Home Missionary Society, he would 
have earned its gratitude. 

At the anniversary of the Theological Seminary in 
Andover, Mass., Dr. Goodell read a paper before the 
alumni upon " The Preaching Required for the Times." 
It was a stirring production and elicited a lively discus- 
sion. After characterizing the preaching in vogue, and 
commending it for certain good qualities, as dealing 
faithfully with the sins of the time, caring for children 
and youth, urging to a large benevolence, pleading for 
the planting and endowing of Christian institutions, 
and presenting enlarged conceptions of duty and ser- 
vice to the world, he points out certain grave defects. 
There are four, in particular, specified by him : 

1. A lack of converting power. — The gains in many 

places are not equal to the losses. The mill runs on, 

but little comes of it. Revivals are seldom. In those 

portions of the country where means and opportunities 

IS 



338 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

for saving souls are greatest, conversions are fewest. 
. ... It is a terrible impeachment of our preaching. 
.... Where is the old passion for souls ? How few 
call on the mighty God, the God that answereth by fire ! 

2. Failure to reach the masses. — The world waxes 
powerful and pours past the church doors every Sab- 
bath a vast, restless throng untouched. Our churches 
mainly give up, and do not try to reach them. The 
ministers are educated often away from the masses, and 
keep away. .... The bulk of the people in the great 
train thunder on, and the church rides in a dainty par- 
lor-car behind. Christianity ought to be conductor of 

the train Under our preaching unbelief thrives 

and discontent increases. 

3. Lack of effort to reach foreigners. — The tide of 
foreign life is rising around us every day higher. We 
go on ... . preaching and conducting church affairs as 
if these people did not exist. Seven million Germans 
among us, ... . yet what minister has saved a German ? 
Who has really cast his net in on that side ? . . . . We 
discourse to one small class, on one phase of thought, 
and scarcely make any impression on these raging mill- 
ions who imagine a vain thing, and in whose hands are 
the destinies of the republic and the Church of God. 

4. The pulpit of the day does not call young men to 
the ministry as it ought. — There is some note wanting 
in the voice of the ministry where this is true. There is 
a judgment-seat in every young man's soul. Roll the 
facts of his duty on him ; show him man's sin and 
Christ's salvation, and no work for him will be like 
work for Christ. 

The following are some of his " religious meditations 
for the closing year": 

Many lights go out, but the one Light abides. 



RELIGIOUS MEDITATIONS. 339 

Our prayers have too often come and gone with our 
necessities. 

The sweetest flowers of Paradise God gives to His 
people on their knees. 

There is not a promise but of which every child of 
God may say : It is mine. 

May we enjoy the blessings of this day, and have 
strength to bear its crosses. 

Our hearts these days are altars, whereon gratitude 
and thanksgiving are rising as incense to Thee day and 
night. 

God had one Son without sin, but none without 
sorrow. 

May we all be mindful of our influence. 

We may fail in many of our desires, but if we trust, 
we shall not fail of Heaven. 

A candle will not light the world, neither will earthly 
hopes light the soul. 

The plow of sorrow turns up our poverty to show us 
possibilities of wealth. 

The sun does not go to its grave, but disappears as if 
into the earth ; so does the man who dies. 

The anchor does not hold the ship still, but it holds 
it fast. 

The needle trembles, but does not turn from the pole. 

We have death before us ; what advantage have they 
who have it behind ! 

Let the loved and lost mold us and bless us more in 
their dying than in their living. 



340 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

May life broaden and deepen to us as we go toward 
eternity. 

The lost sheep is nearest the shepherd's heart. 

The springs we would drink from are not frozen by 
the cold of winter, nor dried up by the heat of summer. 
How happy my soul to be led by such springs. 

If we live with Jesus and for Jesus, then shall we grow 
like Jesus. 

A face without smiles is a garden without flowers. 

The sun is set and the day is done. Soon shall we 
exchange the midnight for the morning. 

Let us remember it is step by step, and not a hundred 
days at a time. 

Bless those who are hungering for the bread of life. 

The house of God is a refuge from public, domestic, 
and private care. 

Let us move our altars to those who will not come 
to us. 

We pray for those left alone ; the sons and daughters 
of parents passed into the skies. 



XVIII. 
THE HOUR OF PRAYER. 



"Be filled with the Spirit; speaking one to another in psalms 
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody 
with your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all 
things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the 
Father.'' — St. Paul. 

" Lord, what a change within us one short hour 
Spent in Thy presence will prevail to make, 
What heavy burdens from our bosoms take. 

We kneel how weak ; we rise how full of power. 
Why therefore should we do ourselves this wrong 
Or others, that we are not always strong? " 

— Trench. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE PRAYER - MEETING. 

I HAVE incidentally referred to the ways in which 
he often made the prayer-meeting of Pilgrim Church 
interesting ; it may be well here to speak at more length 
of this meeting of the church. In the history of his 
ministry in New Britain, the opinion of one of his peo- 
ple : " I think his best work was done in the prayer- 
meeting," was quoted. Similar opinions are held by 
many of his St. Louis people. Many said during his 
life among them, that they would rather miss all the 
other services of the week than this one, so helpful and 
interesting was it to them. 

The following description of his prayer-meeting and 
of his manner of conducting it has been received from 
one of the most intelligent and most constant in his 
attendance upon it, of the officers of his church : 

It would be difficult to describe the prayer-meeting of Pil- 
grim Church under Dr. Goodell, because each was unlike any- 
other. In this was one of the great charms of the meeting, for 
it could never be said of it, as has often been, said of the prayer- 
meetings of some churches, that one knew beforehand just 
about what it would be — who would participate in its exercises,, 
and what they would say. 

Dr. Goodell strove to make the prayer-meeting, in the first 
place, a family gathering. He reminded his people that they 
were, in fact, one family in Christ, and that there, through com- 
munion with Him and with one another, they would receive 
mutual help and strength for life's needs ; and easily they came 

(343) 



344 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

to learn that their thoughts and desires were common, and 
that they did obtain great help there. The members of his 
church, therefore, look back upon those prayer-meetings with 
great delight. We remember how carefully and skillfully he 
planned them. They were not allowed to run in a rut as to 
their order, and they were never without plan and special pur- 
pose. Many times they were prepared for weeks beforehand 
with special care. Not unfrequently subjects were selected, 
and topics relating to them were written out and handed to 
different persons, with the request that they would speak on 
those specific points, or severally bring a passage of Scripture 
or a verse of a hymn appropriate to the topic assigned. Such 
meetings, so planned, were very interesting, and brought an 
up-lift to all, and especial profit to those who took part in 
them ; while the planning and selection were so successfully 
done that the meetings seldom made the disagreeable impression 
of formality from having been too elaborately prearranged. 

On one occasion the announcement was made from the pul- 
pit with the other notices for the week, that the meeting on 
Wednesday evening would be the prayer-meeting of a.d. 1900. 
Many were the conjectures as to what the meeting was to be, 
but the puzzle was not solved until the people came together 
on the night of the meeting, when it flashed upon them with a 
pleasant surprise at the discovery that the young people were 
there in force to conduct it. It was a delightful meeting. The 
notice from the pulpit concerning the prayer-meeting, as in the 
instance just referred to, was an invitation of such varying 
character that interest in it was quickened from the moment it 
was heard. 

It seemed as though Dr. Goodell loved to bring to his people 
there at that mid-week hour the best he had. The meeting 
could not fail to be helpful, for there his people learned of his 
experiences on the mount, and the deepest desires of his heart ; 
and there, in prayer, he took them with him to the mount also. 
With the variety which characterized the meetings, there was 
always a special fitness for the time. The topics, and his treat- 
ment of them, were timely. He was very happy, in his use 
of the experiences of his people, in showing God's hand in 
them. Occasions of joy or sorrow to their hearts and homes 
were turned to the greatest profit. Here, too, at the prayer 






THE PRAYER-MEETING. 345 

meeting, he brought items of the work of the denomination 
in St. Louis and the State, as well as the whole country, thus 
constantly enlisting the sympathy and interest of his people in 
other churches and the work at large. 

The meeting nearest to the " Annual Thanksgiving " was 
usually a praise-meeting. Many will recall with great pleasure 
those meetings. What helpfulness in the passages of Scripture 
then brought by different ones ! How small the trials and 
burdens grew as God's mercies were recounted in words glow- 
ing with love to Him who giveth to all liberally ! 

To the preceding description we subjoin the follow- 
ing account, taken from a letter to the Advance, by- 
Robert West, who, while superintendent of the Home 
Missionary work in the Southwest, was often in St. 
Louis, and an occasional attendant upon the prayer- 
meetings of Pilgrim Church : 

The whole life of a church hinges on its prayer-meetings, and 
the prayer-meeting depends on the leader. I know of a prayer- 
meeting which is never chill, never drags, and where, so far as 
I have seen, the Holy Spirit is present always in unmistakable 
power — sweet, tender, deep. But the leader prepares for that 
meeting as faithfully as he ever prepared for his pulpit. I 
never heard him say as much, but it is evident to all. And his 
greatest preparation is in solemn communion with the Most 
High. He comes down from the mount of God, and his face 
shines as the face of an angel. There is no such thing as 
counterfeiting the Spirit's work. If the life of the minister 
were careless, or unclean, or selfish, he could not come with the 
dew of God's grace upon him, and so speak as to melt us all 
into a loving mood, and move the multitude as by a breath 
from the gates of heaven. When we have a consecrated, trained 
ministry, we shall have done with pompous sermons, dreary 
theological philosophy, cant, and skepticism. 

You say, "Who is this ideal minister?" No matter now, as 
his name is written in the Book of Life, and will not be over- 
looked at the last great day. That he is a good man you need 

15* 



346 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

not doubt. It might be good Mr. A. or good Mr. B., and it 
might be simply good L. 

To make our description of his prayer-meetings com- 
plete, that the readers of this book may obtain some- 
thing like an adequate conception of them, we add to 
the foregoing accounts some thoughts of his own taken 
from the chapter entitled " The Pastor in the Prayer- 
Meeting," in his little book, " How to Build a Church." 

Upon the importance of the prayer-meeting, he says : 

The prayer-meeting is the most important circle that 
gathers in the church, both in its influence on Christians 
and on the world. The Church of Christ was born in a 
ten days' prayer-meeting, and it must still be found in 
the place of prayer. Above all other services is the 
prayer service. The believer that is always there re- 
ceives and gives a blessing which will hardly be ex- 
ceeded by any other work he ever does. 

He thinks the prayer-meeting should be led by the 
pastor : 

There may be scores of godly and able members, but 
he stands at the centre, and none can understand the 
needs and fitnesses, and bring out the gifts and graces 
as he can. He is to the prayer-meeting what the engine 
is to the steamship, its "heart of fire giving direction 
and movement." 

The staple of the prayer-meeting is its spirituality. 
It is not a sociable, though it is social. It is not a talk- 
ing and singing meeting, though men talk and sing 
with the heart. It is not a solemn rehearsal of prayer- 
meeting prayers ; nor is it a weekly lecture by the pas- 
tor, made up of what is left over ; — such a meeting is 
the poppy among the flowers in the garden of plants. 
You cannot have a soul-moving prayer-meeting withou* 



THE PRAYER-MEETING. 347 

soul-moving piety. The one thing that makes the hour 
of prayer blessed is the light of the living God in the 
souls of His communing children. If our prayer-meet- 
ings are poor it is because our piety is shallow. Nothing 
will make them powerful and profitable like more godli- 
ness. Deepen the consecration and you deepen the in- 
terest and helpfulness. 

Concerning the specific benefits of the prayer-meet- 
ing, he says : 

Miracles are done in it. When the disciples were 
praying, the Holy Spirit descended. When the Church 
was praying at John Mark's house, Peter was let out of 
prison by an angel. When the Church prays now, there 
is answer in India and China and Africa. While 
Christians pray, there is fresh anointing from on high. 
Less time with men, and more with God. 

The prayer circle is a place of instruction. The word 

of truth is unfolded there What we learn on our 

knees we never unlearn. The place of prayer is a place 
of rest after toil, of comfort in perplexity and trouble. 
It is a place of fellowship. Next to the joy of heaven is 
the gladness of hearts gathered together in prayer. It 
is a place for conversion of souls. Of how many it 
shall be written : " They were born there." It is a place 
for replenishing the daily losses of the heart, and en- 
throning God again at the seat of the soul. A Christian 
is always helped by his association with other Christians. 

Among the practical suggestions he gives for making 
a good prayer-meeting are the following : 

A definite object is desirable, toward which the cur- 
rent of the meeting presses, gathering force as it goes 
Variety is important ; sameness is tameness. The tree 



348 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

of life bears twelve manner of fruit, a great diversity ; 
and it sheds its leaves every prayer-meeting hour for 
the healing of God's children. Make it a praise-meet- 
ing now and then : sing sometimes through the entire 
hour, alternating after each verse with prayer. 

Have a conference on such subjects as Sabbath-keep- 
ing, family worship, training of children, amusements, 
and so on. 

Let any ask for prayers. 

Write out a covenant, each one, and resolutions, and 
let them be presented. 

Have a Scripture reading, all taking part. 

For a Bible lesson, at the opening, let each one repeat 
a verse, and so read the Scriptures from the tablet of 
memory. There should be a great deal of Bible in the 
prayer-meeting. 

Give out the subject from the pulpit Sunday. 

Be on the watch for fresh experience of God's love 
and goodness ; of promises fulfilled ; of aid rendered 
and prayers answered, and new conversions, and let the 
facts be spoken to the praise of God. 

At the beginning of a meeting give out a living topic, 
and name six brethren before you to speak on it, three 
minutes each, and after singing and prayer call on them. 

If the meeting refuses to go at any time, turn it into 
a conversation, all rising and greeting the next neigh- 
bor : they will soon find their tongues. 

Sit in silence a little time now and then with God and 
your own thoughts. 

Let all bow sometimes, and one after another utter a 
sentence of prayer that most presses on the heart, with- 
out rising. 

Take much pains with the music. 

Talk about the prayer-meeting through the week. 

Never scold or tease or worry the members. Make it 
the happiest hour in the week, and make the hour so 



THE PRAYER-MEETING. 349 

profitable to the inner life that they cannot afford to 
stay away. You cannot drive the bees with a whip, but 
plant a clover field and you will get them, and they will 
fill the hive with honey. 

Whether a prayer-meeting is profitable or not de- 
pends upon the leader's ability to bring there and set 
forth with power and interest the lessons of God's 
Word. He needs to know the Bible and how to ex- 
pound it. Dr. Goodell had this qualification to a re- 
markable degree. 

Dr. Lamson, in his commemorative discourse, says 
of him : 

This preacher was a man of one book, the one book of the 
world — the Holy Scriptures. His thought, his conversation, 
as well as his preaching, were always Scriptural. His nature 
was saturated with the sentences and facts of the Word as 
Gideon's fleece was saturated with the dew. He could give you 
nothing of himself without at the same time giving you some- 
thing of the Bible With him Scriptures were not learned 

nor quoted, nor used with a purpose, they came forth so spon- 
taneously that you were made to feel sometimes that they were 
the speaker, and that they used him and his lips with a purpose. 

He had a remarkable insight of the meaning and 
force of the Scriptures. It might be truly said of him 
that his eyes were open to " behold wondrous things " 
therein. His spiritual insight and power of bringing 
rich, suggestive thoughts out of God's Word remind 
one of Archbishop Leighton or of Bengel. His note- 
books are very interesting and delightful on this account. 
There we often find significant texts written down with 
the emphasis so marked as to give a new, richer, more 
suggestive meaning to the words. We give a few exam- 
ples: "Hear, for I will speak of excellent things," 



350 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Prov. viii. 6. " That in everything ye were enriched in 
Him," I Cor. i. 5. "I was envious at the foolish" etc., 
Ps. lxxiii. 3. "The Almighty shall be thy gold" (mar- 
gin), Job xxii. 25. 

He searched the Bible for hid treasures, and found 
them in abundance, so that to him they were inex- 
haustible. He never lacked good texts to preach upon, 
or fruitful topics of discourse for the prayer-meeting. 
His exposition of the Scriptures gave his people con- 
stant surprises, and the pleasure that comes from the 
discovery of unexpected wealth and beauty. He evi- 
dently loved the Bible ; delighted in the reading of it, 
fed his soul daily upon its teachings, — could truly say 
with the Psalmist : " More to be desired are they than 
gold, yea, than much fine gold ; sweeter also than honey 
and the honeycomb." 

He was often heard to say, that he was thankful that 
he had been led to choose the ministry for his profes- 
sion — his life-work, for it made it his business to study 
the Bible. In this study he found great profit and 
blessing. It was a precious privilege that he did not at 
first realize. Others took time from business or other 
occupations for Bible study, but his business was in 
this line, and he gave glad testimony to the elevating, 
enlarging, ennobling, purifying influence of constant 
Bible study year after year. He had builded for him- 
self better than he knew when he chose to be a minis- 
ter of the Gospel. 

It was this sympathetic love for the Bible that ena- 
bled him to discover its treasures. The Bible, like a 
human being, discloses its best qualities, its wealth of 
beauty and value, only to those who love it. It may 
be said of his power of insight into God's Word what 
Lowell says of the sympathetic and penetrative imag- 



THE PRAYER-MEETING. 35 I 

ination of Coleridge : " This was the lifted torch that 
bade the starry walls of passages, dark before to the 
apprehension of even the most intelligent reader, 
sparkle with a lustre, latent in them to be sure, but not 
all their own." 

His severe sickness seemed to be greatly blessed to 
him in opening his eyes to the meaning of texts that 
had been previously hid or not enough appreciated. 
During his convalescence he said, " God hides His 
promises in strange places — some in sickness, and we 
never get the promise till we get there and find it, e. g. 
* In the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pa- 
vilion.' l When thou passest through the waters I will 
be with thee.' ' He doth execute the judgment of 
the fatherless and the widow.' We have to go to these 
places to get the promise. The spiritual jewels are 
found in the darkest places of suffering." This experi- 
ence from sickness led him to say, " The rod is a part 
of the Christian's wealth. I know I have a peace and 
love and submission in me I never had before, also a 
sense of God's goodness and mercy." 

PRAYERS FROM NOTE-BOOK. 

We bless Thee that there are no heart-aches beyond 
the shining shore. 

Thou takest away one blessing and dost bring a hun- 
dred. 

Speak so we shall know it is to us. 

We thank Thee for a restful and quiet mind. 

In our strife Thou dost want our ear, that Thou mayest 
impart some secret of love and grace. We might have 
more of Thee if we would pause oftener. Thou dost 
never ask such labor as keeps us away from Thee. 



352 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

May this chapter from Thy Word be to us as a loaf of 
the bread of life, greatly multiply in the breaking, and 
nourish and refresh us in the eating. 

Thy light is brightest in the dark. 

Bless all who feel there are none to care for their souls. 

Thou wilt never be nearer to us than in our griefs. 

A web of many threads is life ; let them all be in Thy 
hand. 

Thoughts of Thee, O God, are sweet as sound of 
evening bells. 

May our hearts not be as wells left empty. 

We thank Thee for the world of rest. 

We love to come to Thee often. 

The hearts that are open to receive are the hearts that 
Thou wilt bless. 

RELIGIOUS THOUGHTS FROM HIS NOTE-BOOK. 

God knows our hearts without our words, but not our 
words without our hearts. 

Our lives should be like the day, more beautiful to- 
ward the evening. 

May the memory of those who were with us, but are 
not now, make us feel kindly to the living. 

May we not watch for the shadows, but for the light. 

Blessed are the joy-makers. 

The lark never sings turning downward. 

Time has established Christianity. It has the wisdom 
of the ages. All departure from that is retrograde. 

The young do not appreciate what institutions have 
cost, how much they are indebted to them, and what 



RELIGIOUS THOUGHTS. 353 

desolation comes in their overthrow. So they pull down 
public good, and the nation mourns. 

Our parish is the republic ; not the State, but the na- 
tion ; not our kindred, but all men ; not our children, 
but humanity. 

The person who begins to pull out his gray hairs as 
they come is on a long road, and will find no place to 
stop until his last hair is gone. 

Starch is good, but it is the last thing to be desired in 
a church of Christ. 

The contradiction of saints is much worse to bear 
than the contradiction of sinners. 

Taking the pilot on board, the captain then rests ; so 
when we give up our own struggle and take on Christ. 

When you trust the Lord's promises there are no ifs 
in the way. 

I am glad so many of you are rain-proof. 

How many try to correct evil with a spirit worse than 
the evil. 

We shall find this year what we seek. 

Keep up hope in bad times ; we have the same sun 
and sky and stars ; the same God and heaven and truth ; 
the same duties and the same helpers. Hope thou in 
God. 

We may derive good from the death of them that die, 
as truly as from the life of them that live. 

When we pray alone we have God all to ourselves. 

Paul was to be an apostle only after he had seen the 
Lord. 

The most startling fact I ever confront is the faith of 
my child in me. 



354 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

The Bible is among books what Christ is among men. 

Many men hold the Bible in their hands and read and 
get no more out of it than the sparrow does of the mes- 
sage in the wire she sits on. 

It is so much easier for men to do to be saved than to 
trust. They will work at their religion when believers 
are all discouraged. 

Who are responsible for keeping up church service ? 

Affliction is the great Musician tightening up the 

strings. 

The prodigal lost everything — home, work, food, rep- 
utation ; everything but his father's love. 

Machinery is good only as a means to an end ; we 
want the life. 

How can you bring a child to appreciate his privileges ? 



XIX. 
FEASTS FOR THE SOUL 



" I love a prophet of the soul." 

—Emerson. 

" Hail, Sacred Feast, which Jesus makes, 
Rich banquet of His flesh and blood ! 
Thrice happy he, who here partakes 

That sacred stream, that heavenly food." 

—Doddridge. 

The man is praying, who doth press with might 
Out of his darkness into God's own light." 

— Trench. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

HIS SABBATH MINISTRATIONS — COMMUNION SERVICES. 

The public services of the Lord's day at Pilgrim 
Church, during the ministry of Dr. Goodell, claim from 
us special consideration. The large congregation which 
usually filled the spacious house of worship, was evi- 
dence that those services were pleasant and profitable 
to the people who frequented them. An unusual num- 
ber of young business men, with keen eyes and intelli- 
gent faces, were constant members of this congregation. 
Such men do not attend church Sabbath after Sabbath, 
for months and years, for nothing ; or except they ob- 
tain some clear, palpable good. Their regular attend- 
ance, their earnest attention, above all their Christian 
characters, formed after the noblest pattern, afford con- 
vincing proof of the real value of the ministrations of 
religion which they receive. This proof of its merit 
was never wanting to the ministry of Dr. Goodell. He 
was successful to a remarkable degree in winning to the 
Christian faith and life the men that joined his congre- 
gation. They did not, as in many congregations, float 
for a while within reach of his influence, and then 
drift away. They were laid hold of by him with a 
strong, persuasive hand, and fastened to the church, and 
made happy, useful servants of Christ. Men and 
women who never knew what it was to have a definite 
purpose respecting religion and its duties until they 
came under his ministry, received from it that blessing 

(357) 



358 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

with all its transforming results. He was instrumental 
by his preaching in waking up to newness of life many- 
thoughtless people. In the hearts of the worldly he 
touched springs of motives which changed for them 
the whole current of thought and feeling. Those who 
had been selfish became unselfish, and consecrated 
themselves to the service of God and their fellow-men. 
" The only thing worth living for is the glory of Christ," 
was a saying that was often upon his lips. At first it was 
not understood, perhaps ; or it may have seemed the 
unmeaning jargon of religious fanaticism. But hearing 
it often repeated, and perceiving that it had a meaning 
which irradiated his life with heavenly light, they at 
length accepted it as a motto for themselves, and tried 
to live in the spirit and power of it. 

How shall we describe those services of the sanctuary, 
which many found so helpful and so inspiring? We 
will suppose one a stranger in St. Louis in the time of 
Dr. Goodell's ministry, and that he spent the Sabbath 
in the city. When he came down to breakfast at the 
hotel Sabbath morning, he found on his plate at the 
table, or there was handed to him as he came forth 
from the dining-room after breakfast, an invitation in a 
neat envelope to Pilgrim Church, corner of Washington 
and Ewing Avenues. If he was stopping at the Lindell, 
he was told that the horse-cars which run past the hotel 
would take him to the church door. The subjects of 
the sermons for the day were given also in the invita- 
tion. The cordial warmth of the invitation would have 
favorably impressed him, and he was drawn by it to 
the church. 

Such a stranger in St. Louis was Col. C. H. Howard, 
one Sabbath in the winter of 1 88 1-2, and he has given 
us a description of some things which he heard and saw. 



HIS SABBATH MINISTRATIONS. 359 

which will help us in our endeavor to give some con- 
ception of the Sabbath services at Pilgrim Church. 

"As a stranger," he says, " I entered the vestibule of 
Pilgrim Church ; but as a Christian stranger was I cor- 
dially welcomed there by an usher, and shown to a 
good seat in one of the well-filled pews. All the people 
were requested to rise and join in the singing — and, 
what is better, they did so. The welcoming and heart- 
inspiring mottoes, put up for the American Board meet- 
ing, are still there. Do you wonder that there was 
little of the stranger feeling left when Dr. Goodell's 
familiar voice was heard in asking all present to pray 
for him, and for a divine blessing on all the exercises 
of the day?" 

What may be called the atmosphere of the church 
has much to do with a stranger's enjoyment of public 
worship. The atmosphere of Pilgrim Church was and 
is so genial and friendly that strangers are quickly made 
to feel at home there. 

The devotional part of the public services of the 
Sabbath, as conducted by Dr. Goodell, were always 
very striking and uplifting. His prayer at the National 
Council, which so impressed those from abroad, was no 
new or surprising thing to his own people. They were 
accustomed to hear such prayers from him frequently. 
They were probably the richest portion of his pulpit 
ministrations — more prized than his sermons even by 
the spiritual members of his congregation. " Unques- 
tionably," says one of them, " the powers of his whole 
being — mind, heart, and soul — found their highest and 
grandest exercise in prayer." A stranger visiting Port- 
land, Me., after the death of Dr.Payson,and being shown 
through the church where that saintly minister preached 
so long, had the pulpit pointed out to him as " the place 



360 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

where he prayed." So the people of Pilgrim Church 
now think of the pulpit of their house of worship as 
the place where their former beloved pastor prayed. 
They fondly remember his prayers, and the memory 
of them often quickens their religious affections. Every 
approach he made to the throne of grace was a real 
entrance into the secret presence of the Most High. 
For the following description of his manner in the de- 
votional services of the sanctuary we are indebted to 
one of his most intimate friends, a prominent member 
and officer of Pilgrim Church : 

The invocation at the opening of the morning service was an 
outburst of thanksgiving and praise to God, which brought 
every one of his hearers at once into an appreciation of the 
fact that God was indeed present in the house, and that this 
was none other than the house of God and the very gate of 
heaven. The day might be stormy, the audience disappoint- 
ing, heavy burdens pressing upon him, circumstances adverse ; 
no matter: when he arose in the sacred desk to lead the people 
in prayer, his thought at one bound reached up to God, and in 
an instant all external surroundings were forgotten as with 
mighty faith he led all hearts to rest themselves upon the 
promises of God, and to expect His blessing. These invocations 
were very brief — less than a minute in delivery — yet at the close 
the audience seemed to have been lifted into another world. 
But this service, grand and inspiring as it was, was only as the 
touching of the chords in the prelude to the majestic oratorio 
to follow. 

His public prayers came from secret communion with God, 
and from his intense sympathy with American history. They 
gave evidence of most careful thought. He evidently treasured 
up during the week special things for which to bring thanks- 
giving, praise, confession, or supplication. To him prayer was 
no mere intellectual rhapsody or emotional ecstasy ; it was the 
mighty power that moved the arm of Omnipotence ; the out- 
pouring of a soul that touched the heart of Omniscience , the 
outgoing of a faith that was boundless as Omnipresence, for it 



HIS SABBATH MINISTRATIONS. 361 

had its origin and root in God himself. To him God was all- 
knowing", all-loving, all-present ; and, therefore, how could he 
better honor God than to bring to Him in public prayer every 
interest of humanity and of Christ's kingdom? And so he 
would spread out before God, specifically one at a time, the 
special needs and interests of his people in all their relations 
to home, business, social, and religious life — private and public. 
Homes, cities, governments, public schools, seminaries, colleges, 
universities, Sunday-schools, churches, and religious work 
among all denominations, institutions of charity or correction, 
the great societies for the evangelization of the world, special 
occurrences of the time, newspapers secular and religious, the 
printing press, the mighty interests of commerce and trade, 
parents, children, teachers, tradesmen, railroad men, sailors, 
professional men, governors, and those in positions of public 
trust and authority, he brought them all to God, not of course 
in any single prayer, but from time to time, until he had swept 
the whole world with his thought, embracing in his great lov- 
ing heart everything that touched the heart of his brother, of 
whatever race or color. 

His faith never quailed in the darkest hour ; it was shaken by 
no conflict however dire, or emergency however forbidding, 
but was supremely confident of the final coming of the kingdom 
of Christ in all the earth. 

His prayers, although ever diversified and novel, always par- 
took largely of praise and thanksgiving. The review of the 
love and the mercies of God stirred his soul to its profoundest 
depths, awakening in him the intensest emotions of gratitude 
and praise, which, in their expression, rose from height to 
height until they seemed to mingle with the songs of the re- 
deemed in the presence of the Lamb. 

His supplications partook more of the nature of worship than 
entreaty. On his lips they were, or seemed to be, only the in- 
terpretations of the divine will — just a talking with God as a 
man would pour out his heart to his dearest friend. At times 
he would be carried along by the sweep of his emotions, as the 
visions of Christ's coming and glory unfolded themselves to 
him, until he seemed to be ensphered in the glow of the celes- 
tial city, and to see the New Jerusalem descending as a bride 
out of heaven, and to hear the glad acclaim : " Behold the 
16 



362 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

tabernacle of God is with men, and He shall dwell with them, 
and they shall be His people, and God himself shall be with 
them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears 
from their eyes ; and there shall be no more death, neither sor- 
row, nor crying ; neither shall there be any more pain, for the 
former things are passed away." 

His magnificent voice interpreted with wonderful power and 
accuracy the thought swelling from his heart, now rising in 
majestic volume like the triumphant shout of the victor, now 
sinking away into the moan of the penitent, but ever resonant 
and sweet as the tones of the organ. 

His prayers were usually short, rarely exceeding seven min- 
utes, and often not more than five. A stranger said one day, 
"That was the most comprehensive prayer I ever heard put 
into the space of seven minutes." 

His prayers were always hopeful, courageous, inspiring. In 
all the thirteen years of his ministry in St. Louis, I never heard 
from his lips in prayer a note of discouragement or hesitancy 
or doubt. To him his mission was always clear, and he bore 
his people on his heart to God as Moses bore upon his shoulders 
the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. To me he was ever 
the impersonation of Elijah upon Mount Carmel, never of 
Elijah under the juniper-tree. 

Parts of the public services, which most ministers 
slightly pass over as of small account, or evils that de- 
tract from its enjoyment, were invested by Dr. Goodell 
with singular interest and dignity. For example, the 
notices from the pulpit were given in such a way as 
always to interest the congregation. " We all thought," 
says a hearer, " that they were matters of some import- 
ance to ourselves and the pastor, and worth remember- 
ing and acting upon." It was well to make the people 
think so. As those notices announced the work of the 
church for the coming week they were important, and 
the congregation ought, if possible, to have been made 
to feel it. To hurry over them, or to read them in a 



HIS SABBATH MINISTRATIONS. 363 

careless manner, as if of small moment, would have 
been to throw contempt on the work of the church. 

The Sunday Col. Howard attended Pilgrim Church, 
in the winter of 1S81-2, was marked by the introduc- 
tion of a telephone into the church, connecting it with 
the sick-chamber of an invalid lady, and thus enabling 
her to enjoy the ministrations of the sanctuary. " Dr. 
Goodell said it was to him the best illustration of prayer 
that science had yet furnished. If this copper wire 
could convey our utterances to the human ear so far 
away, how easily conceivable that this universe, threaded 
with unseen chords, were but a vast sounding-chamber 
to receive the prayers of God's people, and whisper 
them to His listening ear." 

Of the sermon Col. Howard heard, he says : 

It is not possible to put it upon paper, not, at least, with any- 
thing of the power it had upon that living, thrilled, responsive 

audience There is wanting the sympathetic and varying 

tones of the voice ; the expressive face, more eloquent than 
words, and the entire "action" which Demosthenes made a 
synonym of eloquence. The text was Hebrews vii. 16 : "Who 
is made, not after the law of' a carnal commandment, but after 
the power of an endless life." 

The old covenant was shown to relate largely to the physical 
wants of man ; the new, to man's immortality. " An endless 
life in man, dependent and needy, and an eternal Saviour and 
helper in Christ fitted to administer to all his requirements. 
.... There are no dead. The blow which releases the spirit 
from the body does not end the spirit's life. In every soul is 
there the power of God unto endless being. You who listen 
are henceforth eternal, in some realm, under some sky, beneath 
God's smile, or beneath God's frown." 

" When the eloquent Bossuet was called to preach the funeral 
oration of Conde in the presence of the king and the vast weep- 
ing assembly in the splendid cathedral of Notre Dame, in the 
solemn hush he rose and said, ' God only is great,' and then 



364 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

bowed down and buried his face in his hands It is the 

lesson of our text. This life passes away; the shadows we 
chase flit; the things that pertain to the life to come, these 
alone are abiding. Before this truth we bow and stand in awe 
of ourselves. Man never interprets his destiny and comes to 
his poise till he sees this, and acts upon it, sitting at the feet of 
Him who has the power of an endless life, and can forgive sin, 
and aid the soul in all its necessities." The closest attention of 
the large audience was held to the end, in elaborating and illus- 
trating the noble theme. One unique illustration is too good 
to lose: "You cannot light a candle with an extinguisher, and 
unbelief is the extinguisher of the soul." We make room also 
for the concluding words : " You are out on a great and wide 
sea, without chart and compass, drifting, and no shore in sight, 
and the sound of the breakers solemn and awful in your ear.. 
Will you not pray this prayer to-day ? 'I sail the ocean of eter- 
nity darkened and alone. O Christ, Thou who dost walk the 
waves to rescue those in need, come to my frail ship. The 
winds are up, and the waves contrary and sounding as for storm. 
Come to my ship ; still the storm ; calm the sea, and bring 
peace and hope. Come, O come to my poor ship, and sail with 
me till we reach the farther shore.' 

The services at Pilgrim Church on communion Sab- 
baths were usually of special interest. A hearer says : 

They were always singularly appropriate and helpful to those 
participating in them. First came the baptism of children, and 
if the day was fine there was likely to be a considerable number 
of them. The communions of May and October were especi- 
ally signalized by the presence of the little ones for the recep- 
tion of this precious rite of our church. Dr. Goodell entered 
into this service with a heart aglow with personal and parental 
interest. In his address to the parents he reminded them of 
the blessings promised to them and their children, and so as- 
sured them of the faithfulness of God to His covenant, that 
they were inspired with courage and comfort, while at the same 
time their sense of responsibility was deepened. In the admin- 
istration of the rite his voice was tremulous with tender emo- 
tion, but sweet and expressive of the deepest interest in each 



COMMUNION SERVICES. 365 

case for the parents and the child. In the prayer of consecra- 
tion that followed, parents and children were borne upon its 
petitions even to the very footstool of God's throne, and left 
there in blessed trust and sweet repose upon the faithfulness of 
the God of Israel. 

Next came the reception of new members. During his 
pastorate of thirteen years and a quarter, there were some, — 
often many, of these at every communion, except one, pre- 
vious to which he had been absent on his summer vacation, 
and so unable to bring forward any by pastoral effort. Con- 
cerning them he seemed to be filled with the idea that they 
w r ere truly the children of God, and that they were now com- 
ing into the household of faith. His words to them were 
well chosen, and set forth not only the joy of sonship with 
God, but also the privilege of discipleship to Christ, and of liv- 
ing in His service. Many have testified to the blessing that 
came to them through this exaltation of the act of uniting with 
the church ; and the impressions thus received were deep and 
lasting. 

To each one, when admitted to the church, he gave the right 
hand of fellowship, accompanying it with an appropriate text 
of Scripture. This was done with such cordiality and aptness 
in the selection of the texts given, that the ceremony was de- 
lightful both to the new members and the church. The singu- 
lar felicity of the text with which Mrs. Goodell was received at 
the time she united with the church, is remembered to this 
day. It was, " I commend unto you Phebe, our sister who is a 
servant of the church which is at Cenchrea, that ye receive her 
in the Lord as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in what- 
soever business she hath need of you ; for she hath been a 
succorer of many, and of myself also " (Rom. xvi. 1-2). The 
church appreciated its applicability to her, and heeded the 
charge contained in it for themselves. 

His "Sacramental Meditations," spoken as he stood behind 
the communion-table, before the breaking of the bread, were 
very happy and most edifying. They were filled with the very 
essence of the Gospel, and made the service a real communion 
of the believer with Christ. " It seemed, indeed," says one of 
his people, " as if Christ was in the midst, present to forgive, 
to strengthen, to comfort, to save, filling every heart with His 



366 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

gracious power. On these occasions the pastor's faith, always 
strong, and restful, and abiding, seemed to know no bounds, 
and to acknowledge no limitations. To him Christ was * present 
at the feast,' communing in blessed tenderness with every par- 
ticipant." 

The following petitions and ascriptions of praise are 
believed, some of them, to have formed parts of the 
devotional service at the sacramental table : 

The hearts that receive Thee are the hearts which 
Thou wilt fill and bless. 

Spread Thy table in our hearts to-day and feed us 
with Thy love and grace. 

Our best thoughts we bring to Thee ; to Thee we sing 
our sweetest songs. 

Comfort the inner solitudes of the soul in which at 
times we all walk. Come into the secret chambers of 
our being and let Thy light shine. 

Give us strength to meet the great exigencies in life, 
sickness, temptation, death. 

We bless Thee for the mercies of the past. Memory 
of happy days is a paradise out of which we cannot be 
driven. 

We hear Thy footsteps from afar, the footsteps of the 
King. 

Thy seat is in the upper calm. Thy feet are on all 
the storms of earth. 

Thou art waiting for the kingdom of all human hearts. 

Faith is the road along which we go to Thee. 

Help us to love to do the duties that are not pleasant. 

There are reasons why we should love Thee ; but why 
shouldst Thou love us ? 



COMMUNION SERVICES. 367 

We cannot light our own fires, but Thou h?st a live 
coal. May we light our lamps against the day of sorrow. 

In the restful silences of this holy day in which God 
is audible, we come for Thee to minister to that part of 
our nature which the world does not reach. 

May our hearts open to Thee as a flower of prayer. 

May those who love Thee let in no doubts and fears ; 
the question with them is closed. 

We thank Thee that in our day-dreams we do see at 
times the delectable mountains. 

The church is Thy body ; may we not tear and rend 
it, but think kindly of it in all its branches, and love it 
for Thy sake. 

Enlarge the mansion of our souls ; make the place 
more fit for Thee, and enter in, O glorious King, and 
make Thy throne there. 

How many of the good and wise art Thou taking. 
What society of the good is gathering in Heaven. 

Thou dost send the sun to visit every eye on the earth 
once in twenty-four hours ; yet Thou art better than the 
sun, Thou dost never leave us. 

Help us to sing in sweeter and diviner strains till the 
melodies of earth are lost in the hallelujahs of Heaven. 



XX. 



A HELPFUL MINISTRY. 



" I think no man ever lived who was so pleasant to so many 
people. We visited him as we visit a clearer sky and a warmer 
day." — J. R. Lowell of Dean Stanley. 

" Sow good services ; sweet remembrances will grow from 
them." — Mme. de Stael. 

" A man shall be as an hiding-place from the wind, and a 
covert from the tempest ; as rivers of water in a dry place, as 
the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." — Isaiah. 



CHAPTER XX. 

REMINISCENCES ILLUSTRATING HIS PASTORAL 
QUALITIES AND EFFICIENCY. 

It was chiefly by his pastoral qualities and labors 
that Dr. Goodell achieved his great success. Through 
these he drew men irresistibly to Christ and His 
Church, and shaped their lives and characters according 
to the truth of the Gospel. The remark of his life- 
long friend, Rev. Lewis Francis, " He seemed to me 
an ideal minister, and I have never known a pastor 
whose success seemed equal to his," may sound to some 
like the exaggerated praise of friendship, but after long 
and much study of the various testimonies received 
from his people, they seem to express but the sober 
truth. Certainly the flocks ministered to by him, and 
especially the poorer and humbler people in them, would 
abate nothing from the praise of his early friend. He 
was and ever will remain in their thought an " ideal 
minister." 

An intelligent Christian lady, a member of his church 
in St. Louis, says : 

As a pastor he was first a good man ; — if he ever came short 
of his own high ideal of Christian character it was a grief to 
him. He was recognized as peculiarly a man of prayer and of 
faith. He knew all his sheep by name — the lambs too. He 
cared for them, became acquainted with them, and helped all 
of them as he could find opportunity, giving most time and 
care to those who needed him most. 

(37i) 



372 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

He had great sympathy for young men just begin- 
ning their business or professional life in a strange city 
like St. Louis. He understood the peculiar discourage- 
ments and trials of their situation — how wearisome the 
waiting for patronage, and how disheartening to their 
eager, impatient spirits the delay in its coming. His 
friendship and words of cheer to such were very helpful 
in sustaining hope and inspiring confidence. With 
prophetic imagination he lifted for them the veil which 
hid the future, and showed them pictures of coming 
prosperity which stimulated their diligence, and made 
them patient with the assurance of ultimate success. 

A lawyer, now in good practice in St. Louis, says : 

When he first met me, coming as I did to a large and strange 
city to practice law, he said : " Your clients are coming from 
every direction — north, south, east, and west, by boat and train — 
they are surely coming; be cheerful, be patient." In an ac- 
quaintance of more than seven years I never heard him express 
a dismal view of things ; but he was always looking to the 
bright side, always seeing the silver lining of the cloud, always 
sure of the goodness and loving-kindness of the God he loved 
and served, and always giving words of cheer and hope and 
faith and love. 

His power of sympathetic imagination, and his quick 
discernment of characters and faces, enabled him seem- 
ingly to tell at a glance how the case was with any one 
who attracted his notice. If the person noticed was a 
stranger, he surmised from his appearance the substance 
of his past history and his present purpose, and in the 
kindness of his heart he inquired within himself: "What 
can I do for you ?" 

The following instance is related to us by a member 
of Pilgrim Church : 



HIS PASTORAL QUALITIES AND EFFICIENCY. 373 

On a very hot day in July, I sent a telephone message from a 
hospital in South St. Louis to Dr. Goodell, asking him to meet 
me at an undertaker's on South Fourth Street, and go with me 
to Bellefontaine to bury a stranger. I was not then a member 
of his church, and had no claim upon him other than the claim 
which every distressed man always had upon his time. He 
came at once in answer to my message, and standing by the 
open coffin I said to him : " I do not suppose you remember 
this young man ? " He looked upon the dead face, emaciated 
by fever, and said : " Yes, I do remember him. He came into 
the prayer-meeting with you about a month ago." " It was 
more than six weeks ago," I replied. " He has been ill over a 
month." " I remember him very well," he said ; "for I said to 
myself when you came into the room with him, ' There is a 
young man fresh from some New England village. I am glad 
that he has found his way here.' " 

This incident (says, our informant) made a strong impression 
on me at the time. I said to myself : " How seldom would a 
city pastor notice a young man, a stranger, entering his prayer- 
meeting for the first time, and not only notice him, but conjec- 
ture in his own mind his condition — ' There is a young man 
iresh from some New England village ' — and be able to recog- 
nize in the dead face, seen six weeks later, the stranger who 
came within his gates." 

Dr. Goodell had many strong characteristics, but his care for 
and interest in the stranger drew me closer to him than perhaps 
anything else. 

His interest in and thoughtfulness for "the stranger" 
was always manifest in his public prayers for the con- 
gregation on the Sabbath. He never failed to make 
mention of " the stranger," and so appropriately as 
often to elicit expressions of gratitude from such. He 
once received at the close of a morning service the fol- 
lowing note, written in pencil on the back of a telegram- 
blank, and sent by the hand of one of the ushers with 
whom it was left : " God bless you for your prayer for 
the stranger present. Three of us, and many miles 






374 TH E LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

from home. God bless us all ! Excuse the pencil and 
paper." — Signed, "An Operator." 

He contrived to make his people share his own feel- 
ing of interest in and cordiality toward strangers. They 
were genially hospitable and courteous to them. It 
was not possible for one to attend Pilgrim Church many 
times and remain a stranger. The quick eye of the 
pastor noted him, and there were not a few watchful 
Christian men and women on the look-out for him. 
However shrinking, diffident, and reserved a person he 
might be, he was soon caught and made to feel at 
home. His name and residence were ascertained, and 
he was promptly called upon. The injunction of the 
apostle, " Be not forgetful to entertain strangers," was 
often on the lips of the pastor, and the blessing coupled 
with it was many times given as a reward to his people. 
The church was constantly enriched and strengthened 
by the accession of men and women who, if not angels 
entertained unawares, were destined to be " equal unto 
the angels." In this way the church was greatly built 
up. The pastor, whose attention was given to the 
smallest matters as well as to the largest, had a direct- 
ing hand in it all. When he learned from the gentle- 
men who acted as ushers, and with whom he was in 
frequent communication, of the appearance of a new- 
comer in the congregation, the efficient visiting com- 
mittee were notified by him, and quickly induced to 
perform their assigned duty of visiting and welcoming 
the stranger. These helpers were usually rewarded by 
receiving his personal thanks for the service done. The 
following note, written on a postal-card to one of his 
ushers, is an actual example : 

The day after you made the request that Mrs. B. should 



HIS PASTORAL QUALITIES AND EFFICIENCY. 375 

call on Mrs. A. B. H., who sits near her in church, 
it was done, and several other ladies also have since 
called. I thank you for a thousand kind things done. 

All who knew him, says one of his people, will recall 
the expression which was most common upon his lips, 
M I thank you," almost always repeated. They were 
the last words he spoke to any one outside of his own 
family. 

He was very helpful, by his counsel and example, to 
such as were troubled by the infirmity of a hot temper 
and similar faults. It may seem almost incredible to 
some that one of his unvarying sweetness of disposition 
and imperturbable serenity of temper should ever have 
had a fault of this kind. But according to his own testi- 
mony, such was the case. The sweet, invincible temper 
he possessed did not spring unassisted from inborn good- 
nature, and it rarely ever does in any one ; but it was 
the result, as is usually the case, of persistent and con- 
scientious self-control directed by religious faith. On 
this account he was able to succor those who were 
tempted. 

A gentleman of intelligence and influence in Pilgrim 
Church informs us that he long hesitated to make a 
profession of religion, because of the infirmity of a fiery 
temper and an unruly tongue. He feared that he should 
dishonor the name of Christ if he made such a pro- 
fession, and frankly told Dr. Goodell so. Dr. Goodell 
urged him not to falter on that account, but rather to 
go forward that he might be assisted, as he himself had 
been, by the stronger motives and divine help thus called 
to his aid. " Dr. Goodell told me he had prayed and 
worked, and was daily praying for grace and strength to 
overcome himself, to bridle his tongue and to abso 



$j6 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

lutely control his temper. The impression made by his 
statements, and his wise practical advice, remain to-day 
stronger than ever, and have always been the starting- 
point to which I retreat when tongue and temper try 
me most. ' Count one hundred before you speak,' he 
said, ' and then remember that what is once spoken can 
never be recalled '; ' that it is better to say nothing 
about a man unless you say something in his favor.' 
That advice I received kindly, and have had occasion 
to recall it a great many times. To him I owe all for 
any desire to start anew and try to be a Christian. 
Numerous spiritual lifts he gave me ; but the lift of all 
most important was when, on his request, I took that 
step and became Christ's disciple." 

Dr. Goodell was eminent as a peace-maker. If any 
member of his congregation was offended or grieved 
with another, or with the church because of anything 
that had been done in it, he spared no pains to heal the 
wound and bring about a reconciliation. In this he 
was successful to an extraordinary degree. It rarely 
happened that he failed. Seldom did a root of bitter- 
ness spring up within his church to trouble it. An un- 
disturbed harmony usually prevailed within it which it 
was good to dwell in. It was indeed a hard and unrea- 
sonable soul which could resist his efforts to pacify it. 
He had such a command over the higher Christian 
sentiments ; he knew so well how to appeal to the 
higher motives of conduct ; he made envy and sus- 
picion and resentment appear so mean and unworthy, 
and forbearance and forgiveness and magnanimity ap- 
pear so noble, that a sullen, implacable spirit was soon 
vanquished, or hid itself and remained quiet for very 
shame. 

If a case of unappeasable resentment did occur, he 



HIS PASTORAL QUALITIES AND EFFICIENCY. 377 

knew how to deal with it, and how to characterize it. 
He believed that there was a limit to the effort to be 
used in such cases. We are told of one instance where 
a family belonging to his church had become estranged 
for some trivial reason, so that they discontinued their 
attendance upon its meetings. He made every effort 
required by Christian kindness and patience to heal 
their wounds and bring them back. He repeatedly 
called upon them himself, and had others call upon 
them, in the endeavor to soothe their distempered 
spirits. It was all to no effect. Then, after consulta- 
tion with the friends of the disaffected family, he came 
to the conclusion that enough had been done, and he 
would cease from further effort in this direction. It 
was not right nor just to expend on such people a dis- 
proportionate amount of time and labor with so little 
prospect of good. " It would not do," he pithily said, 
" to spend the whole summer hoeing around one hill 
of corn." 

He was an example of peaceable behavior to his peo- 
ple. He had secret and open enemies. His great suc- 
cess excited envy in some, and his sensitive nature suf- 
fered keenly from their malice. But to their bitter, 
cruel speeches and malignant flings he never uttered a 
word in reply. The only allusion he was ever known 
to make to them, or to enemies of any sort, was at the 
celebration of the tenth anniversary of his settlement 
in St. Louis, when he said : 

If I have enemies in this city — and no man seeking to 
do a positive good in the world can be without them — I 
pray God for grace most heartily to forgive them, as I 
hope to be forgiven. I trust God's promises : " Where 
no wood is, the fire goeth out." " When a man's ways 



37^ THE LIFE OF COXSTANS L. GOODELL. 

please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at 
peace with him." 

Mothers received great encouragement and help from 
him. He appreciated, as few men do, the power of a 
mother's influence, and the importance of faithful, self- 
denying effort on her part to rightly bring up her 
children. His conscious debt to his own mother led 
him to emphasize these points. " When my children 
were young," says an intelligent lady of his congrega- 
tion, " I took much care of them myself, although we 
employed several servants. I kept the children with 
me in the house, and when they went out of doors I 
went with them and remained with them. One day I 
was with them on the pavement near our house, draw- 
ing one in his little carriage. Dr. and Mrs. Goodell 
were making calls on the street, and had just gone up 
the steps of a parishioner's house and rung the bell and 
were waiting for the door to open, when he turned 
around and saw me with my children. Instantly he 
ran down the steps to greet me, and said, ' The hand 
that rocks the cradle rules the world '; and then went 
up the steps again to make the intended call. It was a 
simple incident, but I was much impressed and cheered 
by it ; for I had felt that my care of my children made 
me appear singular in a city where it is the custom to 
commit children to the care of a nurse. I felt that Dr. 
Goodell appreciated my motives and approved them, 
and I was grateful for his sympathy. It strengthened 
me to continue my effort to be a faithful mother." 

He was ready to co-operate with the mothers of his 
congregation in every way possible, in their efforts to 
bring their children to Christ. In this he displayed 
much tact. When a mother talked with him about her 



HIS PASTORAL QUALITIES AND EFFICIENCY. 379 

son for whom she was anxious, he would arrange to 
have her send the boy to his house at an appointed 
time to borrow a book, or for some other errand. Then 
he would see the boy, as if accidentally, and have a 
talk with him. This often occurred. He knew how to 
draw out such a boy, to so entertain him and win his 
confidence as to disarm him of his shyness and lead 
him to talk freely of his religious feeling and difficulties. 
They liked him, and this because he so evidently was 
interested in them. He held with the old Latin author, 
"Maxima debetur pueris reverential and his manner 
toward such children and his treatment of them ac- 
corded with it. 

One of the mothers of his congregation sent her lit- 
tle son of nine years, one day, with a note to Mrs. 
Goodell, telling him that he was to bring back an an- 
swer. When he returned it was with a radiant face, 
and this glowing, artless child's tribute of praise for his 
pastor : " I am so glad Dr. Goodell is my pastor ! He's 
just the right kind of a man for a pastor ; don't you think 
so, mamma? You see, I had to wait for an answer, and 
Dr. Goodell came down into the parlor to see me. He 
said he came down, because notes took a good while, 
and I might get tired. I think he is the most beauti- 
ful man I ever saw. He's a big man, but he don't 
make you think about it. Don't you think, mamma, 
he has a very nice way of making little boys feel com- 
fortable?" Note the felicitous precision of the little 
boy's language. Could the art of beguiling a bashful 
boy of his awkward diffidence be more happily or ex- 
actly described than by the w r ords, " a very nice way of 
making little boys feel comfortable " ? But more im- 
pressive still is the gracious pastoral kindness thus de- 
scribed. The little boy's mother adds : " It was not a 



38O THE LTFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

little thing to take those moments from pressing work 
to talk with a boy nine years old. But he never lost 
an opportunity, and we Pilgrim mothers thanked God 
daily for his wonderful influence over our children, an 
influence that will reach far on into the future." 

As a pastor he was very helpful to his people through 
his practical suggestions and advice in regard to the 
various homely affairs of life. As an example of this, 
he once said to the women : " It is time for house-clean- 
ing. It must be done, but let it be done as speedily as 
possible, that the household may suffer discomfort for 
only a short time ; and be on your guard not to be irri- 
table and lose your temper." He realized how heavy 
the burdens of business are. He tried to mitigate 
them by application of the truths of religion to the 
needs of business men. He loved to bring the great 
helpful truths of Christianity home to the hearts of 
men so that they might feel day by day the strength 
and comfort contained in them. 

One day a member of his congregation suffered quite 
a heavy loss from fire, by which his place of business 
was seriously damaged. The fire occurred in the mid- 
dle of the day, in the midst of business hours. As the 
man was looking with anxiety and dismay upon the 
destruction of his property, he received a telegram sent 
to him from the remote part of the city where his pas- 
tor lived, with a message of comfort and good cheer, 
and before long, as soon as the horse-cars could bring 
him to the spot, the pastor himself appeared with a 
countenance so full of kindly sunshine, and with such 
words of hope, that every cloud which darkened his 
parishioner's mind was dispelled. That evening, which 
was the evening of the church prayer-meeting, the pas- 
tor completed the work of consolation, and braced up 



HIS PASTORAL QUALITIES AND EFFICIENCY. 38 1 

the man's heart to the strength requisite to bear his loss 
with fortitude and meet the future with new courage, 
by nominating a committee of good Christian brethren 
to go to him then with a message of sympathy from 
the church. Such a manifestation of Christian kind- 
ness from the pastor and people of Pilgrim Church was 
worth all the man lost. The pecuniary loss was con- 
verted into a treasure of the heart ; a precious memory 
of friendship and brotherlmess, that will give him joy 
to think of forever. 

It was helpful to his people to know that they 
had his sympathy and his prayers, when they were 
passing through times of peculiar difficulty and trial. 
They were assured of this. Nothing which deeply 
affected any member of his flock was ever a mat- 
ter of indifference to him. This was manifest to 
all. His personal interest in them, his words of sym- 
pathy and counsel, his public prayers, his habit of step- 
ping in when most needed, as if by chance, and yet so 
opportunely and with such effect to lift them up and 
strengthen them with his cheerful words and strong 
faith, that it seemed to be done from design, or because 
the instinct of pastoral love divining the needs of his 
people had prompted him to come, — all these things 
made his people confident of his solicitude for their wel- 
fare. This pastoral interest began with their first com- 
ing under his ministerial care, and continued to the last. 
" The first incident I recall in connection with my 
membership in Pilgrim Church," says one of its younger 
officers, " is the touching manner in which Dr. Goodell 
extended to me the right hand of fellowship when I, 
then quite a young man, united with the church. He 
was always happy in his remarks and use of Scripture 
texts on such occasions. When he came to me at that 



382 THE LIKE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

time he said, 'And Jesus loved the young man.' God 
gives us interpretations of His Word suited to our 
needs, and that Scripture thus given has been a comfort 
to me in all the years since. I felt that not only would the 
pastor assure me of Jesus' love, but of his own for me 
also ; and all through the years of his remaining life I 
had constant evidence of his love, and that it was even 
a growing love up to the day of his translation. 

"A time came when I felt that I not only needed the 
counsel and advice of friends who had wisdom in earthly 
matters, but that help also which comes through prayer. 
As Dr. Goodell made it easy to his people to tell him 
of their affairs, and sought to know them that he might 
help, I told him of my plans and what I hoped to ac- 
complish. I well remember the excellent advice he 
gave me, how he told me to be firm in my purpose, and 
withal to commit my ways unto God. Months later, 
when matters had become settled, and the results of 
my plans were all that I could have hoped for, I told 
him of what I had been able to do. ' I knew it would 
be so,' he said. ' For many days I went to the Throne 
of Grace for you in those matters, and God does hear 
and answer prayer.' " 

At his funeral, Rev. George C. Adams said : " We 
have all gone to him. We have found him a source 
of courage and help. His people have gone to him 
with their trials and their burdens. They carried their 
burdens to him, and he always took their burdens and 
carried them, but they never knew his own." 

He believed in a divine grace adequate to every need. 
He said, therefore, to his men of business, " I do not 
desire that you should have fewer burdens to bear, but 
that you should have more grace." His preaching and 
his conversation were calculated to make them believe 



HIS PASTORAL QUALITIES AND EFFICIENCY. 3S3 

in, desire, and seek the help to be derived from this 
supernatural grace. In doing this he preached no new 
Gospel, but he successfully brought the vital truths of 
the old Gospel within the clearer apprehension of all. 
To him these truths were living, and they had power, 
and by the contagion of his faith, others were made to 
feel their living truth and power likewise. This is the 
ministry of the Gospel which the world needs. It is a 
ministry that gives to men what has been called " a 
realizing sense of God's truth," and this, when they are 
vexed with cares and disturbed by life's hard experi- 
ences, has power " to allay the perturbations of the mind 
and set the affections in right tune." 

The influence of true vital religion on men's minds 
is analogous to that of poetry. " Poetry," says Emer- 
son, " is the consolation of mortal men." But religion, 
more than poetry, is fitted to console men. The sor- 
rows, trials, and vexations of life, united with the dis- 
gust they produce in the mind, often make life a dreary 
possession. It is like a shell whose exterior is rough, 
corrugated, weather-stained, of which one may say, 
" There is no beauty in it that we should desire it." 
But as such a shell may be lined with pearl tinted with 
the colors of the sunset, and its concave appear like an 
image of the sky, so life has a hidden under-side that 
may yield something like heavenly delight ; and it is 
the work of religion far more than of poetry to dis- 
cover that beauteous, better side of life, and turn it to 
the view of men and make them superior or insensible, 
through the inspiration and joy it gives, to the un- 
lovely, repulsive side. How many illustrations we have 
of this in the Bible, and in the constant experience of 
God's people. When Elisha and his servant were en- 
compassed by a hostile host, with horses and chariots, 



384 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

at Dothan, the servant cried, "Alas! what shall we 
do?" "Fear not," the tranquil prophet said, "for 
they that be with us are more than they that be with 
them "; and when at his prayer the Lord opened the 
young man's eyes, he too became calm, seeing the 
" mountain full of horses and chariots of fire round 
about Elisha." " We look not at the things which are 
seen, but at the things which are not seen," the Apostle 
Paul says. Therefore he could say, " We are troubled 
on every side, yet not distressed ; we are perplexed, 
but not in despair ; persecuted, but not forsaken ; cast 
down, but not destroyed." Christ made a little child 
the type of a Christian disciple. His disciples, from 
their faith in God's love and providence, have " The 
vision and the faculty divine " characteristic of children. 
We have all observed with wonder how happy little 
children are in the midst of the most forbidding cir- 
cumstances. Their homes may be cheerless and pov- 
erty-stricken ; they may be clothed in rags, and have 
scarcely anything bright and pleasant in their surround- 
ings, and yet they are usually happy. They do not 
live in the actual world about them, but in an ideal 
realm. Observe the occasional dreamy look that is on 
their faces. Their eyes are fixed upon things dark and 
repulsive, but it is as if they saw them not. They seem 
to look through them to some glory beyond. Through 
this imaginative religious faculty and their hopefulness, 
they rise superior to the dreariest situations, and live in 
a world of light and beauty. So with those who wait 
on God. By their faith in His promises and their en- 
joyment of His beatitudes, they are transported out of 
themselves and away from their troubles. It was one 
of the distinctions of Dr. Goodell, as a pastor and 
preacher, that he had the prophet's faith to make him 






HIS PASTORAL QUALITIES AND EFFICIENCY. 385 

cheerful and tranquil, and that in his ministry he had 
the prophet's power of opening men's eyes to spiritual 
realities, and of calming their fears and disquietude in 
the midst of life's worry. He made the truths of the 
Bible seem very real. Heaven seemed as much a real- 
ity as Chicago or London when he was talking of it. 

He was characterized by remarkable Christian sagac- 
ity. This was happily exhibited in his method of deal- 
ing with the vexed question of amusements. He re- 
lied upon the power of right religious affections to 
drive out from the church the things that are detri- 
mental to its spiritual life and work. Naturally averse 
to conflict and the antagonism resulting from it, he 
preferred, therefore, to settle debatable questions that 
might arise there by the operation of the truth of the 
Gospel upon the hearts of his people. Instead of say- 
ing to them, " Don't do this," and " Don't do that," he 
sought to kindle within them such a faith in Christ, 
and such love and consecration to His service as would 
leave no room for anything that was not in harmony 
with them. At his death it was said, " He did not 
preach against dancing and theatre-going and kindred 
things, but his church is singularly free from them all." 
How did he achieve what many strive in vain to ac- 
complish, though they fulminate continually from the 
pulpit against such amusements, with no other result 
than to create opposition and divisions in the church, 
and increase their own heart-ache ? The following com- 
munication from one of his people will show : " For a 
considerable time previous to Dr. Goodell's assumption 
of the pastorate of Pilgrim Church, a dancing club 
called ' Pilgrim Circle,' had been in active operation, 
and was composed largely of attendants at the then lit- 
tle Pilgrim Church. Soon after his arrival, Dr. Goodell 
17 



386 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

was asked by a member of the circle to give his views 
on the amusement to which the club was dedicated. 
His reply, accompanied with a genial smile and cordial 
grasp of the hand, which betokened no censure, was, 
' It is not for me now to say that your diversions 
are sinful. You can easily determine for yourself 
whether or not they are good. If they make you 
better and more Christ-like, they are certainly good.' 
The question was then asked, ' Do you not indicate 
to the young what amusements you regard as proper, 
and what have evil tendencies?' He replied, l When 
the sun rises the stars fade from sight, and the mists 
disappear as the world is flooded with light. Jesus is 
the light of the world. When the heart is filled with 
His light and love, there is no room for evil there. The 
best way to find what is evil in the heart and banish it 
is to fill it so full of Christ's love and a desire for His 
service that there will be no place for anything wrong. 
I know the demand of the young for social amusements, 
which must be satisfied ; but my way to check an evil 
tendency would be to try to furnish something better 
for the heart. I will tell you all about that.' There 
was no opportunity for discussion. He went to the 
root of the matter, turning upon the subject the light 
of Christian experience, and leaving it for the inquirer 
to read the answer to his question in his own heart. 
The club, though meeting with no opposition from the 
new pastor, soon dissolved from view like the mist he 
spoke of, but most of its members, by the increasing 
warmth of Christian fellowship and love, soon found 
interests in the growing church much dearer than they 
had felt before, and soon nearly all their names were 
enrolled among the followers of Christ in Pilgrim 
Church." 



HIS PASTORAL QUALITIES AND EFFICIENCY. 387 

That was his way of dealing with such questions. 
He would not have said there is no other way, nor 
criticised those who chose to adopt another way. 

As a pastor he had remarkable administrative ability. 
He accomplished so much because he knew how to 
persuade his people to work, and how best to organize 
them for work. " He had a genius in arranging forces 
and in giving every element in his church some work 
to do." He thus multiplied himself through the great 
company of his helpers in the church, whom he inspired 
with his own spirit and aims, and wisely directed. His 
organization was designed to cover, with its ample 
size, the entire church, so that each and all, old and 
young, might be included in its scope of opportunity 
to manifest love for Christ by some definite service 
done for His sake. It was like an admirable piece of 
mechanism of many wheels and parts, each for a pur- 
pose. " He saw to it," we are told, " that each talent 
had an adapted work assigned it ; and then he did not 
leave the organization to run itself, but looked after 
each detail, and, by his ubiquitous cheer and enthusi- 
asm, put gladness and force into all." 

In speaking of the qualities which made him a 
powerful and thrilling speaker and preacher on anni- 
versary occasions, his idealizing faculty, the " poet's 
imagination," was specified. The same faculty, com- 
bined with his religious faith, was helpful to him every- 
where in the whole wide range of his varied activity. 
Indeed it was a pervasive element of his life, and shed 
a transfiguring light upon it, imparting a glory and a 
dignity to it which were hid from common people. In 
his note-book we find this sentence, seemingly a prayer 
expressive of the faith and desire of his soul: "We 
have filled the jars with water, now make it wine." 



388 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

This thought illustrates the operation of the imagina- 
tive faculty in him. It changed the common into the 
uncommon, or rather the commonplace into the rare 
and precious. His mind continually overleaped the 
narrow boundaries of sense, within which ordinary men 
move, and roamed exultingly through God's great uni- 
verse. One of his familiar sayings was, " We are born 
on the earth, but we live in the universe," and his note- 
books repeatedly allude to " the great in common 
life." In this use of the idealizing faculty he resembled 
the late Canon Mozley, of whom one says : " He had a 
keen and constant sense of the vast wonderfulness of the 
familiar things of life and the world, — the great strange- 
ness of its good, the great strangeness of its evil." 

The imagination is often thought of and disparaged 
as a mischievous faculty, because, as is alleged, it makes 
men visionary and unpractical ; incapable of adapting 
themselves to the realities of life, on account of their 
roamings in the ideal world to which it introduces them. 
But it is obvious that the possession of this faculty was 
no disadvantage to Dr. Goodell. He united with it 
good, hard common sense. Thus associated, and be- 
cause it was combined with his religious faith, it was a 
power for good in him. It was a means of spiritual 
emancipation. It enabled him to live, and work, and 
pray "with his chamber windows open toward Jeru- 
salem." Therefore he was courageous and cheerful 
and hopeful, where others lived in a dreary captivity to 
fear or despondency. Other ways in which it was an 
" unspeakable advantage " are particularized by Dr. 
Simeon Gilbert in his appreciative estimate of him : 

It helped him to idealize his mission and his ministry. It 
gave freedom to the wings of his thought, grandeur to his 
plans, ardor to his zeal, the sense of reality to the evidences of 



HIS PASTORAL QUALITIES AND EFFICIENCY. 389 

things not seen, a glow as of glory to his Christian hope. It 
taught him to follow the angel, who was seen in the vision of 
the Apocalypse " standing in the sun," whence all kingdoms and 
dominions could be seen subject to the Lord of all. Moreover, 
in all manner of gentler and more private ministries, as pastor 
and friend, this sanctified gift of imagination was perpetually 
putting both himself and others at their happiest. 

By reason of this imaginative faculty, and the idealiz- 
ing habit cultivated by him, he was a most delightful 
companion. " Those who travelled with him through 
Palestine," says his friend Dr. Dwinell, " were charmed 
by the perpetual jubilate about the Scriptural incidents 
and life which leaped from his lips as they passed 
among the scenes made illustrious in sacred story." 
Nothing was more characteristic of him than the jubi- 
lant spirit and tone above referred to by Dr. Dwinell. 
His life was a perpetual strain of praise and thanks- 
giving. It was, we think, because, on account of this 
idealizing faculty, he saw more to be thankful for than 
most people, and because he deliberately cherished 
this spirit of praise. He remembered that whoso 
offereth praise glorifieth God ; he felt that praise is due 
to God, and that it is grateful to Him ; that we are 
too apt to think of our wants and our trials, and not 
enough of our rich blessings. " Through the whole of 
his ministry with us," says one of his people, "we have 
had before us a living example of gratitude to God 
and to men. It was an inspiration to many a selfish 
heart. If we have not caught something of this spirit 
we are past hope." 

His love for his work was stimulated by the same 
faculty. Helping him, as Dr. Gilbert says, " to idealize 
his mission and his ministry," it invested it with an 
attractiveness and importance otherwise unfelt. Few 



390 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

men, therefore, delighted in God's service as he did. 
After his great sickness abroad in 1884, ne said on his 
return, upon his resumption of his work, which his 
people feared was too soon, and sought to persuade 
him to postpone awhile : " No king ever went to his 
coronation with greater joy than I come to my work." 
There was nothing irksome in it that should have made 
him reluctant to take it up. He came to it eagerly, 
with the satisfaction of a real enjoyment of it. His 
enjoyment of it was so great that he loved to think of 
it as, in one form or another, the employment of heaven. 
Upon the text, " And they serve Him day and night," 
etc. (Rev. vii. 15), he made the comment: "When a 
child of God dies, it is only changing the place of ser- 
vice. It is a joy to think we serve Him still." 

This satisfaction with his work suffused his' life like 
an atmosphere, and imparted to it that tone of glad- 
ness which characterized him. When he came into the 
ministers' meetings Monday mornings, the joy of the 
Sabbath labors, and not its weariness, gave the expres- 
sion to his face, and he was apt to say in his own hearty 
manner : " This is a beautiful world ; a good world to 
live in ; what grand opportunities for work ; was there 
ever such an age for usefulness ? " 

Dr. C. M. Lamson was not more felicitous than just, 
therefore, when, in his fine commemorative sermon on 
the death of Dr. Goodell, he placed this quality of 
hopeful, constant cheerfulness the last, as most charac- 
teristic and crowning the rest. It was his highest 
distinction as pastor and preacher. Dr. Lamson says : 

That which this preacher has taught us most clearly, and is 
teaching us, .... is the power and reasonableness of the hope- 
ful soul His eyes were always toward the dawn, as if he 

knew that the earth at its darkest midnight was yet rolling on 



HIS PASTORAL QUALITIES AND EFFICIENCY. 39 1 






to the glory of a new day. " Let the Christian," he said, " be 
glad and let him turn his face to the light that all, looking 
where he turns his face, may see also the light that lighteth 
every man that cometh into the world." He taught us that 
they who are glad from a deep joy are the most useful ; all men 
confess the sweet reasonableness of the argument of sunshine. 
.... Whatever burdens he carried, he walked in the light, and 
made his life a psalm. 



XXL 



PASTORAL GUIDANCE 
COMFORT. 



AND 






If in the paths of the world, 
Stones might have wounded thy feet, 
Toil or dejection have tried 
Thy spirit, of that we saw 
Nothing — to us thou wast still 
Cheerful and helpful and firm ! 
Therefore to thee it was given 
Many to save with thyself ; 
And, at the end of thy day, 
O faithful shepherd ! to come, 
Bringing thy sheep in thy hand." 

—Matthew Arnold. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

HIS MINISTRY TO RELIGIOUS INQUIRERS AND TO THE 
AFFLICTED. 

Perhaps he was the most helpful, and showed at 
his best, or did his best as a pastor, in what may be 
specifically termed religious conversation. By this we 
mean conversation for the purpose of winning unbe- 
lieving souls to faith in Christ, or of instructing and 
edifying the souls of Christians so as to confirm their 
faith and promote their sanctification. 

This is an important ministerial accomplishment. 
For lack of it many ministers who are able preachers 
fail of success. In the life of a successful pastor it is an 
indispensable supplement to the work of the pulpit. 
It is needed to clear up difficulties which the sermon 
does not touch. " I am daily forced to admit," says 
Richard Baxter, " how l'amentably ignorant many of 
my people are that have been constant hearers of me. 
In one hour's familiar instruction of them in private 
they seem to understand more and to better entertain 
it than in all their lives before." 

It is needed also to finish what the sermon only half 
performs. As Dr. Goodell says in his little book, " How 
to Build a Church ": " To sit down beside a man and 
open to him the gates of light, and let all you know of 
Christ's mercy and goodness pass before him, setting 
forth the love and grace that wait for his acceptance, 
as you have tasted them in your own soul, Christ's 
image shining in you, and the accents of His love blend- 

(395) 



396 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

ing with yours, is to gain that man for Christ." For 
lack of such a personal wrestling with them as a con- 
versation like this permits the pastor to have, many 
"almost persuaded " to come to Christ are never actu- 
ally gained. Dr. Goodell had great skill and success 
in this kind of effort. It was noticed by all who came 
in contact with him, and, saint or sinner, no one could 
be long with him without being profited by him. 

" He had," says his friend, Dr. George Washburn, 
of Robert College, " a wonderful power and tact in 
strictly religious conversation. This impressed me 
more than anything else the last time he was in Con- 
stantinople, for it is a rare gift. There was nothing 
forced about it. There was no cant. It was as simple 
and natural as the prattle of a child. It did one a great 
deal of good. It seemed to me as though I had been 
talking with a man such as Archbishop Leighton must 
have been." 

His religious conversation was so simple, so natural, 
and so profitable, because it was the simple outflow of 
the religious faith and piety within him. He spoke 
thus because he thus believed and felt. He never was 
embarrassed or hindered in his speech by doubts as to 
the propriety of religious conversation, or fears that it 
might not be agreeable. "A pastor," he says, "mis- 
takes if he thinks by being worldly in conversation or 
bearing he will be more attractive. The ideal gentle- 
man, according to Sir Philip Sidney, is a Christian gen- 
tleman. He wins because of ' high thoughts seated in 
the heart of courtesy.' The pastor that is filled with 
the spirit of his Master will be welcome everywhere. 
He is all the more loved and sought because he is a 
living, serving Christian. Instead of putting aside 
Christ to make himself more acceptable, he ought to 






HIS RELIGIOUS CONVERSATION. 397 

know that it is the Christ-likeness he bears that makes 
his coming a joy." 

That he was correct in this opinion his experience 
proved. He rarely received a rebuff, and most generally 
his conversation upon religious subjects was welcomed 
and enjoyed. In his ability to influence individuals by 
private interviews of this kind he had few superiors. It 
was not that he tried to dominate their minds by force 
of will or the power of his own personality. He never 
tried to do that. We are told by one who knew him 
well that he never relied upon his own merit or ability to 
make the truths he uttered influence others, but upon 
the truth itself that underlay his words. He trusted to 
the prevailing power of truth to convince them. He 
believed that if he could get this fairly before their 
minds they would recognize God's voice in it, and in 
yielding submit to God rather than to his own per- 
suasion. 

He knew when to press earnestly and urgently for- 
ward, and he knew also when to slacken his endeavors 
and wait. But while he waited he also watched. "He 
could plan to win a soul for his Master," we are told, 
" and wait five years, if necessary, to do it ; but he was 
all the time seeking for just the argument or particular 
presentation of truth that would be blessed by the 
Holy Spirit." 

His chief reliance in all this ministry of instruction 
was the Word of God. How to make its meaning clear, 
and bring home to the heart its teaching, by appropri- 
ate illustration and argument, was his constant study. 
Thus, if his object was to convert to Christ the per- 
son talked with, this person was more likely to be truly 
converted by " the power of God unto salvation." If 
his aim was to revive the drooping faith, and quicken 



39S THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

with holy aspiration some halting Christian, it was 
achieved by reminding him of the divine help within 
his reach : 

"Think what spirit dwells within thee; 
Think what Father's smiles are thine ; 
Think that Jesus died to win thee ; 
Child of heaven, canst thou repine ? " 

" By his help," says one thus benefited, " our thoughts 
have been elevated, and our aims and purposes in life 
ennobled." 

" There are six classes," Dr. Goodell says in his little 
volume " How to Build a Church," " of which the pas- 
tor will be always mindful : the sick, those in trouble 
and affliction, children, the aged and infirm, the strangers 
in the gates, and souls seeking salvation. Others are 
reached as time permits. Opportunities like these are 
like angels encamping round about the pastor. Timely 
visits make gains for eternity. We can never draw 
souls to Christ as when trial comes. Then, if ever, a 
man wants to see his pastor, and his heart is open to 
the best he can give." 

A woman in straitened circumstances, with young 
children dependent on her, went to one of the " Ham- 
mond meetings " in the early part of Dr. Goodell's 
ministry in St. Louis, in the hope of obtaining comfort 
and help. " I was comparatively a stranger in St. 
Louis," she says, " and had never heard of Dr. Goodell 
or Pilgrim Congregational Church. There were be- 
tween thirty and forty ministers on the platform, many 
of whom either talked or prayed, Dr. Goodell among 
the number. I was greatly drawn to him. It seemed 
as if he came directly from God's presence, bearing 
good tidings for us all. I wondered who he was. I 



HIS RELIGIOUS CONVERSATION. 399 

was sure that he knew my Saviour well, and I felt anx- 
ious to speak with him. At the inquiry-meeting which 
followed I found an opportunity to do so. His talk 
was full of God's love to us — to all. Before we sepa- 
rated he asked for my name and address. Sickness 
and death came to our home. Dr. Goodell was often 
there helping and comforting in his own peculiar, Christ- 
like way. He seldom left without this word, ' Remem- 
ber it is strength for to-day you want, that is all. Just 
for to-day. God loves us so much ; and He knows our 
needs. He will give you the strength for to-day, for He 
has promised it.' In all the years that followed, again 
and again would he give me that message, and so I 
was taught to live, day by day, looking unto God for 
help, with a prayerful heart. Had Dr. Goodell owned 
the whole world, could he have left any friend a better 
legacy?" 

He had a quick, sure insight into the heart troubles 
of those he met, and equal skill in applying the remedies 
required to cure them. A lady of his congregation 
says, that whenever she met him he always discerned 
the mood she happened to be in, whether happy, sad, 
or fretful, and though he uttered but a sentence, it was 
always just the word necessary to make her the happi- 
est, give her the best thoughts, and, as she expressed 
it, " bring out the best that is in me." 

" In my day of great trouble," says another grateful 
parishioner, " when the way seemed dark indeed, his 
words were to me a comfort and a blessing." 

In sickness and in death, in which the sorrow and 
sadness of life are most frequently felt, he was espe- 
cially helpful. In the account given of his ministry in 
New Britain, his manner and method at such times 
were fully described, and this description need not be 



400 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

repeated. But this may be said, that in his St. Louis 
pastorate there was a ripeness and efficiency of method 
surpassing that of the previous pastorate. In it he ex- 
hibited the fullness and perfection of his pastoral wis- 
dom and skill. He was more mature, more assiduous 
in his work, and the spirit displayed in it was larger 
and more benignant. The habit, formed in New Britain, 
of addressing letters to his people on various occasions, 
and for the various purposes of giving comfort, remind- 
ing of duty, and inspiring to new effort, was still kept 
up with increasing benefit. Some of his letters of con- 
solation are models of tenderness and pastoral wisdom. 
The following is an actual example : 

3006 Pine Street, September 23. 
My dear Friends : — Permit me to express my deep 
and sincere sympathy for you in your bereavement. Many 
sad and sorrowful hours must come to you as you think 
of the loved one passed away from the scenes of earth 
and time forever. But great mercies and blessings still 
remain to you, and I trust you may be able to say by 
God's grace, " Thy will be done. Even so, Father, for 
so it seemeth good in Thy sight." 

" My Saviour has my treasure, 
And He will walk with me." 

We must all go home to our Father's house, and the 
time which He appoints is best, though it often leaves 
the friends behind in loneliness and tears. 

But out of these darker hours some of our best thoughts 
and purposes come, and we are lifted to holier and bet- 
ter things, and- are led to walk more closely with God, 
and to render better service for Him. 

" Oh, deem not they are blessed alone, 
Whose lives a peaceful tenor keep ; 



HIS RELIGIOUS CONVERSATION. 401 

For God who pities man hath shown 
A blessing for the eyes that weep." 

Very sincerely, Your Pastor. 

Dr. Goodell was most happy in his funeral services. 
We do not think he was ever surpassed in the appro- 
priateness of his words on such occasions. 

In this varied work of Christian nurture, consolation, 
spiritual guidance, and of winning souls to Christ, Dr. 
Goodell made much use of tracts and religious books. 
He early learned the value of these silent teachers in 
questions of interest. When a student in college he 
had been strongly impressed and much benefited by 
one then put into his hands, and thus realized the 
power of such companions of their solitude to affect 
thoughtful persons. He had resolved to supplement 
his personal influence by a wise use of printed matter 
of this kind. In his study he had a case with numerous 
compartments, in which tracts upon various subjects 
were kept for use as required. He took pains to in- 
form himself in regard to publications of this sort — 
where they could be obtained, what was their scope 
and value, — and such leaflets as he deemed best for his 
purpose he kept always on hand. When he sought to 
direct an anxious inquirer, or to comfort one in afflic- 
tion, or to stimulate a person to Christian activity, or 
to give a mother counsel and encouragement in regard 
to the religious training of her children, he had a tract 
that was adapted to the purpose. 

It is remembered that on one occasion, at a State 
Association we think, when the work of the Tract Soci- 
ety was under consideration, an address was made in 
its behalf, and its publications were commended to 
pastors and Christian workers as valuable helps. In 



402 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

the discussion which followed, one of the ministers 
present said he hoped that they were not expected 
to leave the great work, to which they were set apart, 
to become book-peddlers and colporteurs. Dr. Goodell 
then arose and said, that " for many years he had 
been a book-peddler and a colporteur— if these were 
the terms to apply to a minister who often distributed 
the tracts and commended the religious books of 
the Tract Society. He did not regard it as a degra- 
dation of himself or of his office to do so. Nothing was 
too small for him to do, if any good was to be ac- 
complished by it." That was characteristic of him. 
The humblest work, the lowliest duties were cheerfully 
and joyfully performed for the Gospel's sake. He 
would have been willing, like his divine Master, to wash 
men's feet, could he have seen any hope of good in it ; 
and instead of injuring his dignity by the service, he 
would have done it in such a way as " makes that and 
the action fine." 

BRIEF PRAYERS. 

We bless Thee for one more sunrise in this weary 
world. 

The children of God in the olden time had a song to 
God for every act of goodness and love ; help us to sing 
Thy goodness. 

May our sorrow come from the world, and our glad- 
ness have its spring in Thee. 

We enter Thy house in weariness, as travellers enter 
the wayside inn. 

Fit us personally for our dying hour. 

Bless all those who are tried and perplexed with busi- 
ness ; may they see in it all God's hand, leading to some- 
thing higher and better in the plan of their lives. 



BRIEF PRAYERS. 403 

We tnank Thee that we may praise Thee in our busi- 
ness and with our substance. 

Richly bless all who are planning and laboring and 
sacrificing for this church. 

When Thou dost look down upon Thy churches, count 
this one, and be well pleased. 

Eternal water-brooks, fed by no rains, by no earthty 
dews, my spirit turns to you. 

We gather themes for praise all along the past ; not 
always gladness and earthly prosperity at Thy hand, but 
always goodness. 

Open the hearts of Thy people to the poor, and may 
we not hear only those who are loud in their complaints, 
but those also who keep silence and suffer more. 

Keep those whose faith is tried by a severer test than 
that of sorrow — the test of happy, successful years. 

We bear Thy name, O Christ ; help us to bear Thy 
image. 

What flowers are sleeping still to bloom ; what fruit 
lies in embryo yet to come out ; so of our graces under 
Thy sun. 

The more truly we become children, the more fully 
wilt Thou be a Father. 

Thou dost set the solitary in families, and make them 
solitary again. Bless them. 

Ah, who would meet Thee, bearing only withered 
leaves ! 



XXII. 
THE CHILDREN IN THE CHURCH. 



" Where children are, there is the golden age." — Novalis. 

" The smallest children are nearest to God, as the smallest 
planets are nearest the sun." — Richter. 

" A man of hope and forward-looking mind." — Wordsworth. 

"The golden beams of truth and the silken cords of love, 
twisted together, will draw men on with a sweet violence 
whether they will or not."— Cudworth. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

HIS MINISTRY TO THE CHILDREN — CHURCH 
EXTENSION. 

One of the best and most valuable chapters in the 
little volume, " How to Build a Church," is that en- 
titled "The Pastor among the Youth." In it Dr. 
Goodell describes the principles and methods which he 
followed in his successful ministry to the children. 

Probably his labors among, and for, the young of his 
pastoral charge were as remarkable and important as 
any part of his ministerial work. To them was due no 
small portion of his success in building up his own 
churches, and making them the centres of power and 
influence which they became in the communities about 
them. His churches were full of young life. At every 
service their bright faces appeared. At every commun- 
ion they usually formed a considerable fraction of the 
number received into church membership. He believed 
in child-piety. He dwelt much upon the importance 
and the wisdom of cultivating it, and he was continu- 
ally studying how to do so. How supremely important 
it is, his own words best declare. He says : 

He who builds the church must save the children. If 
we save the children, we save the world. The world is 
most easily and effectively saved in childhood. . . . The 
generation which takes the most children along with it 
for Christ will do most to build His kingdom, and to 

thin the ranks of the opposition Shepherds in- 

(407) 



4o8 



THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 



crease their flocks by carefully nursing the lambs ; so 

pastors enlarge their folds by caring for the young 

Seek the children early, seek them faithfully. The pas- 
tor's best work will be in giving direction to their life at 
the start. The pointing of the gun determines the entire 
course of the ball. 



These pithy sentences contain in their condensed 
form the substance of whole volumes upon the subject 
of Christian nurture. It was a subject upon which he 
had read much and thought much. And the result of 
all his reading and thinking was a clear conviction that 
the pastor who overlooks the children, or waits to have 
them grow older before endeavoring to reach them in 
his ministry, overlooks the most promising field for 
labor, and misses, never to find again, his most precious 
opportunity with those whose early years he thus suf- 
fers to slip away unregarded by him. 

He believed that the church needs the presence of 
children in its fellowship for its own best health and 
enjoyment and interior attractiveness. They are as 
necessary to the complete life of the church as they 
are to the home. It is likely to be a sombre and some- 
what cheerless place without them. If not this, at least 
it will give the feeling of something lacking. " The 
Holy Land," he said, " is a barren, shadeless land for 
the want of fresh young trees. The church without 
the young ingathered and trained is a deserted field. 
Though aged palms are found in the courts of the 
Lord's house, we need, as well, the straight and beauti- 
ful rods of youth there." 

It was his opinion, also, that the best Christians, 
those most devoted to Christ, and most efficient and 
successful in promoting His kingdom in the earth, are 



HIS MINISTRY TO THE CHILDREN. 409 

usually examples of early piety. Most of the great 
preachers and leaders of the Church in the past were 
instructed and trained in the knowledge of God in 
childhood by devout parents and teachers. The highest 
powers of sacred eloquence, and the greatest wisdom in 
leadership, were the ripe fruits of a faith that began and 
flourished in the dew of youth. " The best Christian 
workers are largely taken and consecrated to lives of 
benevolence and sacrifice and service from circles of 
Christian youth." " Out of well-trained children we 
are to rear the strongest defences of Christianity, — a 
soldiery of godly souls, true to the great Captain." 

That religious culture is needful for children, and 
that no one should be so misled by their natural sweet- 
ness and innocence as to suppose that they are good 
enough without it, he did not hesitate emphatically to 
declare and teach. He looked upon religion as neces- 
sary to the completing of the human soul, in man or 
child ; and the earlier it is planted in the soul, the more 
it will bless it and preserve it from the sin of the world. 
" The charm and beauty of Eden," he said, " still cling 
to the children, yet they possess a sinful nature, and 
must have a new heart from above. Selfishness and 
disobedience and anger stain the sparkling fountain of 
youth, except the Spirit of God renew and redeem their 

lives The beginnings of the divine life must be 

put in their hearts before the world gets in." 

The ways and methods by which Dr. Goodell sought 
to put these " beginnings of the divine life " into the 
hearts of the children were many and various. He let 
no opportunity slip. He was always on the watch for 
souls. But his main reliance was upon the methods 
ordained of God, the " stated means of grace " found 
in home religion, the religious teaching of the sanctu- 
18 



410 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

ary, and the special pastoral instruction and training of 
the young with which the Christian ministry in every 
age of the Church has felt itself charged. 

Upon the importance of home religion he often 
dwelt. The mother is the child's first teacher, and the 
first teacher's instructions are most impressive, and re- 
membered the longest. The child's heart is " wax to 
receive and marble to retain." It is peculiarly suscep- 
tible to religion. Faith in all things good, in God, in 
angels, in prayer, in supernatural grace and help, in the 
love and friendship of Jesus, is easy to the child. It 
receives without question and with joyful readiness 
what the man " dead in trespasses and sins " is slow to 
believe. It is not ashamed to own and talk of the 
Lord. It is in the spiritual spring-time when the seeds 
of divine truth find a congenial soil and atmosphere, 
and quickly spring up into life. 

The chief condition of early piety is therefore genuine 
religion in the home. Christian parents are likely to 
have believing children if they are faithful in their re- 
ligious teaching and training. Dr. Goodell often spoke 
of the responsibility of parents for their children. He 
made it a ground of appeal to them to come to Christ, 
and live in union with Him, that they might bring their 
children to Him also. He longed to have, and labored 
to have, every home in his parish a Christian home, to 
" secure," he said, " the conditions of a successful start 
in the Christian life among the children. They will 
bear the marks of the home through life." He had 
pondered much over the lasting nature of early im- 
pressions, by reason of which each home becomes, ac- 
cording to its kind, a mould of character. The habits, 
dispositions, affections formed there are permanent. 
Therefore, make the mould as perfect as you can. 



HIS MINISTRY TO THE CHILDREN. 411 

Then " reverence for God and His Word and day and 
house, faith in Christ, regard for the truth, love of right- 
doing, sorrow for sin, true manliness, desire for useful- 
ness, self-sacrifice for others, and every excellence de- 
sirable in the Christian, will be planted in the child." 

He made it his care and duty to assist the parents of 
his church in their efforts to give a religious training to 
their children. A signal and never-to-be-forgotten in- 
stance of this was given during the last year of his life, 
when he sent to every child, by name, in his congrega- 
tion a beautiful morning prayer to be learned and daily 
repeated at the moment of waking. The following is 
an exact copy of one of these little missives : 

A MORNING PRAYER. 

TO MY LITTLE FRIEND MAUD : 

The morning bright, 

With rosy light, 

Has waked me from my sleep ; 

Father, I own 

Thy love alone, 

Thy little one doth keep. 

All through the day, 

I humbly pray, 

Be Thou my guard and guide ; 

My sins forgive, 

And let me live, 

Dear Jesus, near Thy side. 

Your affectionate Pastor, 

C. L. Goodell. 

Who can measure the influence of this little prayer, 
diligently learned and conscientiously repeated, for their 



412 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

pastor's sake, by hundreds of children ! It is, doubtless, 
the golden cord by which some of them will be tied to 
the throne of God, and kept religious, who otherwise 
might go astray. 

For the Bible-school, as a means of religious teach- 
ing and training, he had a high appreciation. He was 
careful to define its true place among the agencies for 
promoting child-piety. It was not, on the one hand, 
a substitute for home religious instruction ; the parent 
could not shift her responsibility for the religious teach- 
ing of her child upon its Sunday-school teacher ; nor 
was it a substitute for the church service and the pas- 
tor's ministry, that the children might be safely ex- 
cused from attendance upon the church service, and the 
pastor wash his hands of all responsibility for them. 
He greatly deplored this common error, and believed 
it fraught with the gravest mischief. " The Sunday- 
school," he said, " is not the children's church, but it is 
the church and pastor mingling with the children, and 
laying out all their experience and wisdom and spiritual 
power on them for their instruction in righteousness." 

He believed that the pastor should always be in the 
Sunday-school. Thus he would become familiar with 
their faces, and be better acquainted with them. Thus 
they would learn to know him better, and come to re- 
gard him with friendliness and affection, so that his in- 
fluence over them would be stronger for the love they 
had for him. Dr. Goodell was as constant in his at- 
tendance upon his Sunday-school as the superintend- 
ent himself. In this way he won their confidence and 
favor. He could not pass them on the street without 
receiving from them a smile and a greeting. They ex- 
tolled him to their playmates until these shared their 
admiration for him. And thus it happened that when 






HIS MINISTRY TO THE CHILDREN. 413 

he died, a little boy, of another church and Sunday- 
school, ran home and said to his mother, " Oh, mamma, 

the children's friend is dead ! " 

Another reason for his constant attendance upon the 
Sunday-school was, because his presence drew in the 
adult members of the congregation, and the older 
scholars were more likely to be retained. That great 
and widening gulf between adults and children, so harm- 
ful to each, is in this way prevented. 

He valued the Bible-school as enlarging the range of 
religious instruction given to the children, and increas- 
ing the amount of attention and spiritual oversight 
they receive ; as a good field of Christian service for 
the church, and as bringing the old and young into a 
blessed union for worship and mutual religious benefit. 
" The Bible-school/' he says, "places an acting-pastor 
in the person of the teacher over each circle of youth. 
It affords a work to do which blesses both teacher and 
pupil. It keeps the heart warm in service, and prepares 

the whole church for usefulness The young 

worship with the parents, the adults study God's Word 
with the young, and all grow up together homo- 
geneous." 

Dr. Goodell laid great stress upon the value of the 
regular church service to the children. He insisted 
that it was important they should be there, and that 
spiritual disaster would surely come to the church un- 
less their presence there was maintained. " They must 
be made to feel," he said, "that they have a place in 
the service, and a part in the worship ; that their pres- 
ence is desirable, and their absence regretted. Suffer 
them to be absent because they go to Sunday-school 
and there is danger of their falling into practical hea- 
thenism : that they will neglect religion entirely. The 



414 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Sunday-school scholar does not necessarily ripen into 
a church-goer. He is not likely to do so unless at the 
same time taken to church. As a rule, no person 
will be a regular church-goer and useful working Chris- 
tian who does not form the habit of church-going 
young. The habit must be ingrained from childhood. 
A scholar in the Sunday-school, with no fixed rule of 
church attendance, will soon wander away and be lost 
to both. He is too big for Sunday-school, and has not 
been brought up to have an interest in the church, so 
he disappears." 

Such has been the history of thousands in the last 
thirty years, who have left the Sunday-school to swell 
the ranks of the non-church-goers. 

Dr. Goodell, having perceived this disastrous result 
of neglect to bring the children to the house of God, 
labored zealously to correct the fault. He employed 
various incentives to bring them to the church service. 
Text-books were furnished them, in which to record 
the text and the subject of the sermon. These the 
Sunday-school teachers were asked to examine, and if 
found correct to add their signatures and approval to 
each Sabbath's record. This brought the teachers, 
with the pupils, more regularly to the Sabbath worship. 
It linked the Sunday-school and the preaching service 
together. It gave the teacher an opportunity to press 
the truth of the sermon home to the hearts of the 
scholars. It aided the parents in securing to the chil- 
dren church-going habits. It bound the church and 
school in one bundle of life, and afforded a motive for 
them to work together. 

He did not hesitate to say that, if necessary, parents 
should compel their children to go to church. It was 
too important a matter to be left to their free choice. 



HIS MINISTRY TO THE CHILDREN. 415 

It is an indispensable part of a parent's duty to direct 
and control the choices of his incompetent children. 
" Let the parents," he said, " use the same influence 
on their children in securing their attendance on church 
service on Sunday that they do all through the week 

in sending them to business and to day-school 

The moral training of children is not less important 
than the mental, and the church service added to the 
Bible-school makes no longer session, altogether, than 
one of the two sessions of the day-school, which is not 
thought too hard. In many Christian homes there is 
not enough back-bone manifested in this matter of re- 
ligious nurture." 

Dr. Goodell, on his part, spared no pains to make 
the church service attractive to the children. " An en- 
tire sermon to the young," he says, " is good now and 
then. So is a five minutes' talk, if it be fit and good for 
adults also." He was always on the lookout for sub- 
jects, illustrations, and other materials that might fur- 
nish him with striking object-lessons for these sermons 
and talks, and he displayed great skill and felicity in 
his use of them. Once, when down-town, a fire broke 
out in the Lindell Hotel, and being near, he watched 
the progress of the flames and the firemen in their 
efforts to extinguish them. Amid the hurry and rush 
and roar about him, he observed a little canary in one 
of the windows of the highest story, which, in the panic 
created by the fire, had been forgotten, and left, per- 
haps, to perish. Upon that incident of the fire he 
based a short discourse about God's care for His crea- 
tures, small as well as great, that made a children's ser- 
mon long to be remembered. 

One Saturday morning, when Mrs. Goodell was sick, 
a member of his church called to see if he could render 



416 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

the pastor any help. After a delightful talk, by which 
he seemed much cheered, he said : " You have offered 
to help me, and I want your help. I am going to 
preach a five minutes' sermon to the children to-mor- 
row morning on the word ■ Jesus.' It must have five 
heads, one for each letter of the name. I have four of 
them ready ; give me one for the second letter." The 
caller suggested " Eternal Life." " That is just the 
thing," he said. " That shall be your part of the ser- 
mon." And the next day his sermon on the name 
" Jesus " had the five divisions : I. Jesus the Joy-bring- 
er; 2. Jesus the Eternal Life-giver; 3. Jesus the Sin- 
bearer; 4. Jesus the Uplifter; 5. Jesus the Saviour. 

These efforts to bring the children to church were 
crowned with great success. His Sabbath congregations 
contained a great number of them. Their presence 
gave animation and a home-like aspect to the public 
worship. The participation of the children in it made 
it more delightful and blessed for all. Dr. Goodell 
aimed, and was successful in his aim, to make the church 
service of real spiritual benefit to them. Whatever part 
of it was specially given to them was designed to secure 
their conversion or religious nurture, and not merely 
their diversion. He would have thought himself lack- 
ing in some essential ministerial quality if his pulpit 
ministrations had failed to bring them this benefit. 
" Given a pulpit to stand in, he said, and a Bible, and a 
Saviour, and the Holy Spirit, and a group of bright im- 
mortals fresh from the hand of God, with the sunny gleam 
of heaven still on their faces every Lord's day in the year, 
and if the minister does not lead many of them to Christ 
as the days go on, God have mercy on his soul ! He 
has not yet taken his stand on the heights from which 
he can see eternity." 






HIS MINISTRY TO THE CHILDREN. 417 

As a pastor he recognized the fact that the children 
had a claim upon him for special pastoral instruction 
additional to what they received from the pulpit, the 
prayer-meetings, or from his occasional addresses to 
them in the Bible-school. He knew well how little 
and inadequate was the instruction often given in the 
Sabbath-school and in the home, and that unless this 
was supplemented by special teaching of his own, more 
than he could give them in his sermons and talks, many 
of them would have but a vague and insufficient knowl- 
edge of Christian truth. He, therefore, met them oc- 
casionally, and " expounded " to them " the way of 
God more perfectly," laying down " the great land- 
marks of Christian truth," and seeing that they were 
" established firmly on the Rock of Ages, and duly 
warned against the pitfalls and dangers of this present 
evil world." 

He appreciated the value to the church of such an 
organization as Rev. F. E. Clark instituted in the " So- 
ciety of Christian Endeavor," and in the Introduction 
he was invited to furnish to the little volume, " The 
Children and the Church," in which the author describes 
how that organization had its rise and its constitution 
and work, he sets forth admirably the need of such 
work in the churches and the reward it receives. Pil- 
grim Church, at his instance, was one of the first in the 
land to adopt the model presented in that volume, and 
to start "A Society of Christian Endeavor " among its 
young people, that they might be trained to be work- 
ers in the church, by the habit of taking part in religious 
meetings, the practice of benevolent giving, and of 
the art of gathering in the straying. He stimulated 
them to the study of missions and other Christian 
activities, and he sought to enlist every one of them in 
18* 



41 8 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

some definite kind of religious work, believing that in 
this way only could they develop a strong and stable 
Christian character. 

Such an earnest ministry to the young had its re- 
ward. Pilgrim Church became a young people's 
church. They thronged every service ; they came into 
its membership in large numbers ; parents and teachers 
coming forward at almost every communion, bringing 
them with them, and saying, " Here, Lord, am I, and 
the children Thou hast given me." 

A church in which this is the case is happy among 
the households of faith. 

PRAYERS FROM NOTE-BOOK. 

We thank Thee for children, the beating of whose 
hearts is the music of our homes ; and the brightness of 
whose faces is the benediction on our daily bread. 

We thank Thee for the day which Thou pourest out 
of Thy golden urn, and the light with which Thou bap- 
tizest the world anew every morning. 

Tired with the world's journey, we stoop down, as in 
childhood, to drink out of Thy springs the living water. 

Bless the harvests. Upon wheat-field and orchard set 
the benediction of sun and shower. 

Fill us, O God, with Thyself, and we shall have no 
room for trouble and care. 

Bless the feet that walk amid sunshine and flowers, 
and bless those that walk in storm and shadow. 

Through all the track of our mortal years, may we 
wear the white flower of a blameless life. 

The way is growing dim. Turn upon our darkened 
paths the light from Thy heavenly windows. 



CHURCH EXTENSION. 419 

Help men to keep their good resolutions with which 
they began the year. 

Bless the Sunday-school teachers. May they lead the 
children through the gates of life. 

O Lord, we should make fewer mistakes if we went 
oftener to Thee for counsel. Our troubles, too, are so 
different when we take them to Thee. 

The peace Thou canst give all the world cannot dis- 
turb. 

Thou wilt keep sorrow from the heart, but not from 
the house. 

Wherever there are mourners there are comforters. 

how rare it is to find a soul willing to be still, and 
to hear Thee speak, 

1 have alluded to the work of " Church Extension ' 
in St. Louis during the ministry of Dr. Goodell. By 
reason of it the Congregational churches of the city 
were increased in number from four to twelve. For 
how much of this work should he be credited ? His 
part was that of a wise and efficient leader. One of his 
ministerial brethren, referring to this work, says : " Some 
one may say, ' He did not do it all.' Aye, but it was 
in the inspiration and courage that came from his life 
and leadership that it was done. Take him out of these 
last fourteen years and it would not have been done; 
it could not have been done." 

Under his leadership and training Pilgrim Church 
became the potent organization for Christian work it is. 
He found it small and comparatively feeble. Under 
his ministry it developed and gathered to itself great 
spiritual force and many new elements of strength. 
Thus it became an instrument of mighty power. He 



420 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

had the ability to use this instrument so as to accom- 
plish the great objects which God put it into his heart 
to strive for. He could not have done this work with- 
out such a church behind him. No more could the 
church have done without him, or another leader of 
equal ability, to go before and direct its force. The 
finest force without a leader is idle or ineffective. 

Of course, it will not be supposed that Dr. Goodell 
exercised a despotic sway over his church. He never 
exhibited anything like a spirit of domination. His 
influence and authority were only such as superior wis- 
dom always gives. It was an evidence of his wisdom 
that he never sought to carry a point in the face of op- 
position by the force of his own opinion or personal 
wishes. If the time for doing a thing was not pro- 
pitious, or if his advisory council, composed of his 
Board of Deacons and the standing committee, before 
which such matters were discussed, were not disposed 
to favor a project proposed, he knew how to wait, and 
thought it best to wait, until the topic was ripe for 
consideration. In the discussion of subjects, as they 
came up for consideration, so cautious was he about 
obtruding his opinions upon others, lest they should 
vote merely to please him, that it was sometimes dif- 
ficult to know before a matter was decided by vote, on 
which side the pastor's preferences leaned. 

Usually his own views were finally adopted. But 
when adopted, they were sympathetically and cordially 
approved. The discussion, in which he participated 
with the rest, and to which he contributed his appro- 
priate share, usually had the effect of enlarging their 
views of the work proposed and quickening their in- 
terest. He infused his own exalted feeling into the 
rest, and what that feeling was is expressed by a re- 






CHURCH EXTENSION. 421 

mark which one of his deacons remembers to have 
heard on one occasion, when he said : " I never get so 
close to the beating heart of Christ as in a meeting 
when we come together to plan and pray for the ex- 
tension of the kingdom of Christ." This is why those 
business meetings " were," as one often present says, 
" always occasions of spiritual elevation and strength- 
ening." Those there associated with him were brought 
" close to the beating heart of Christ " also, and entered 
with their pastor into His divine thought and joy, and 
calm assurance concerning the interests of His kingdom. 

With the high spiritual tone so characteristic of him 
there as everywhere, he exhibited at those meetings 
the wisdom and sagacity which belong to good, hard 
sense. The extraordinary success which attended all 
the projects proposed by him is proof of this. " Dr. 
Goodell," we are told, " was a general in church work, 
a man of exceptional executive ability. So entire was 
the confidence in his judgment, that it was always prac- 
ticable in Pilgrim Church to raise money in liberal sums 
to prosecute any religious or educational enterprise 
that was known to have his endorsement. He was a 
man of broad views and remarkable foresight, and 
seemed intuitively to perceive the strategic points it 
was necessary to seize and hold in St. Louis and the 
Southwest for the future strength and success of his 
own denomination, and of the cause of Christ gener- 
ally. At these meetings Dr. Goodell came before his 
officers with a programme of subjects for consideration 
systematically arranged. His plans were always well 
considered and carefully thought out. In unfolding 
those plans he exhibited great skill and remarkable 
powers of lucid statement." 

It is by no means affirmed that in the work of Church 



422 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Extension the churches formed were the sole creation 
of Pilgrim Church and its pastor. In every instance 
the Christian people of the neighborhood had an im- 
portant share in the work. Other churches of the same 
faith and their pastors also, co-operated with Pilgrim 
Church to some extent, and more especially the minis- 
ters who took hold of the new enterprises. From the 
latter, great courage and consecration were demanded 
and displayed. But every one of them received inesti- 
mable help and strength from Dr. Goodell's encourage- 
ment. 

The experience of Rev. Geo. C. Adams is illustrative 
of that of others. He says : 

Dr. Goodell had asked me to come down from Alton, and 
look over the field where my church now is, with reference to 
coming here and starting it. There was a Sunday-school and 
a prayer-meeting, nothing more. The Presbyterians had had a 
church here for thirteen years, and had then been compelled to 
disband it. The neighborhood was rank with infidelity. The 
building was old and dingy and forbidding ; there was not one 
inviting feature about it ; all the prospect of a church lay in 
the fact that a few members of Pilgrim Church (including its 
pastor) wanted one. Dr. Goodell saw that I was repelled and 
made doubtful by the surroundings. He laid his hand on my 
shoulder as we stood in the centre of the abandoned building, 
and said : " Here is your field ; the people are all about you ; 
God calls you to this parish ; there are people now on the way 
from every State in the Union and from across the seas to join 
your church." 

At the same time he guaranteed his salary for three 
years. He actually paid one-third of it himself. 

This incident beautifully illustrates the faith and 
courage of Dr. Goodell. " Faith," he said in his fa- 
mous address before the American Home Missionary 
Society in 1881, "is a marvelous builder." He was a 



CHURCH EXTENSION. 423 

good example of the truth of that saying. He had the 
faith of an apostle. 

Dr. Goodell did not limit his interest in these new 
and feeble churches to the times of their beginning and 
establishment under pastors of their own. He con- 
tinued to cherish for them as long as he lived a foster- 
ing care. He was especially sympathetic and helpful 
to their pastors. In a brotherly, unobtrusive way he 
sought to do them good by giving them the benefit of 
his larger experience. " It was worth ten years in the 
life of any young minister," says one of those pastors, 
" to be associated with Dr. Goodell in Christian work. 
He was a whole theological faculty in himself." 

There were three reasons why he was particularly 
helpful to his brethren with whom he was associated in 
this work of Church Extension. In the first place, he 
was accessible to them when needed. He was never 
too busy to leave his work and talk for any length of 
time with them about plans and methods. 

In the second place, he respected their right of judg- 
ment, and never wounded their self-respect by any 
attempt to interfere with or overrule them in the course 
they thought best to adopt in their own fields. " He was 
always glad," says one of those pastors, " to have each 
choose his own method, and was not disposed to dictate 
about it. When my work was just beginning here I 
was very anxious to use the free-seat system. I had 
heard him strongly defend pew-rentals ; so I went to 
him and consulted him as to the method to be adopted. 
His reply was : ' No divine way has been revealed : the 
way that succeeds is the proper one to use.' " 

In the third place, he had the courage of his relig- 
ious faith, of his unfaltering trust in God. This made 
him the natural leader he was to his brethren — a torch- 



424 THE LIFE OE COXSTANS L. GOODELL. 

bearer to them in dark times and places. Mr. Adams, 
of the Fifth Church, has given us an interesting account 
of the way in which Dr. Goodell encouraged and as- 
sisted them, as the time drew near, in the history of 
their mission on Compton Hill, for them to arise and 
build. " Some of us met," he says, " in the rooms of 
the mission to discuss the project of buying a lot there 
on which to erect a chapel later. The workers were 
few, and there was only the hope of being able to raise 
enough money then to pay one-third cash for the lot. 
While all wanted to buy it, it seemed questionable wheth- 
er it could be done. Dr. Goodell rose, and got every 
one in good humor, and then offered to give $25 for every 
foot the pastor of the church was high. By generous 
measurement, he called his height six feet, and pledged 
$150, which gave the people courage to go ahead." 

Since the death of Dr. Goodell the Fifth Church has 
decided, for good reasons, to remove to Compton Hill. 
When this is done the mission will be incorporated with 
the mother church, and a beautiful new stone edifice 
already under way will stand — not on the lot the story 
of whose purchase has just been told, but on another, 
larger, better located one, into which the value of the 
first when sold will enter as part of the purchase price. 
The money of good men given for such purposes draws 
other money after it. It is seed which grows to a large 
harvest. Thus has it been with that gift made by Dr. 
Goodell on the occasion referred to. It has increased 
until the lot purchased has all been paid for; a goodly 
sum is in hand for the new church edifice, and the hope 
encouraged that it may be dedicated without a dollar 
of debt resting upon it. That gift appeals from the 
ground it consecrates that the work thus begun may be 
worthily finished to the glory of God. 



CHURCH EXTENSION. 425. 

He habitually looked on the bright side of things. 
He was rarely or never heard to utter a gloomy or de- 
sponding thought in regard to Christian work. And 
such was his power that he inspired others with his 
bright and hopeful view of it. " He always brought 
sunshine when he came," one tells us, " and when he 
was gone you felt as if an angel had looked in upon 
you. His firm faith in his Saviour lifted him above 
the petty ills of this life. He used often to say: ' The 
truth is sure to win.' " 

What he was to his brethren is beautifully suggested 
by an incident related by Rev. George C. Adams at his 
funeral : " He recently came to my house just after 
dark. I was away, and when I came home I found 
him in the study playing with the little ones, my chil- 
dren, clustered about him. He wanted to talk with me 
on important matters in our work, and we chatted for 
half an hour, when he rose to go. I went with him as 
far as the gate. He had gone up the walk a short dis- 
tance, and I had started back to my door to enter the 
house, when I heard him call. I turned and beheld 
him standing in front of the next door, his face toward 
me. The moon shone full upon him, and his face was 
lighted up as if it had been the face of an angel, and 
he said : ■ The very God of peace be with you ! ' I 
did not know it at the time, but it was his parting bene- 
diction to me, and I bless God for it." Thus his breth- 
ren, with whom he worked to plant and build up those 
churches, now think of him, as one in whose face there 
was the light of heaven, and whose influence upon 
them was a benediction. 



XXIII. 

THE LAST VISIT TO THE HOLY 
LAND. 

1884. 



" Earth proudly wears the Parthenon 
As the best gem upon her zone ; 
And Morning opes with haste her lids 
To gaze upon the Pyramids." 

—Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

" Blest land of Judea ! thrice hallowed of song, 
Where the holiest of memories pilgrim-like throng." 

— J. G. Whittier. 



" Bless the Lord, O my soul . 
eases." — David. 



. . who healeth all thy dis- 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

TRAVELS IN EUROPE AND THE HOLY LAND — PRO- 
TRACTED ILLNESS AND RECOVERY. 

In the last of January, 1884, Dr. Goodell, leaving his 
church in charge of Rev. Zachary Eddy, D.D., of De- 
troit, Mich., started with Mrs. Goodell upon his fifth 
and last trip abroad — purposing to visit England, France, 
Italy, Greece, Egypt, Turkey, and the Holy Land. " He 
had become worn," he told a friend, " and exhausted by 
a long service of giving of the deepest and best in him, 
and felt, if he could stop work and go to the fountain- 
land of Christian faith, it might give him ten years 
more of Christian work in the ministry." 

It being in mid-winter, he left home in the midst of 
a heavy snow-storm, which pursued him all the way to 
the seaboard and across the ocean. But the thought 
of the long vacation before him so elated his spirits 
that he felt no oppression from the gloom of the storm. 
From Liverpool he writes to the friends left behind : 

Four thousand miles along the highway of the storm 
king in mid-winter ; this has been an exhilaration and 
delight. Our Lord says, " Pray that your flight be not 
in winter," but that was before sleeping-coaches and 
palatial steamships. A thousand miles from the Father 
of Waters to New York, and three thousand miles across 
the tempestuous Atlantic, without cold or hunger or 
fatigue, is one of the miracles of comfort in our mod- 
ern life. 

(429) 



430 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

He has left us the following graphic description of 
his journey over that " winter storm-track." His spirits 
were those of a happy school-boy just released from 
school, and anticipating a good long season of play: 

The winter had been tightened on St. Louis for six 
weeks. The time of departure was at hand. The Pull- 
man sleeper bore us through the tunnel in gloom. The 
long train took us over the bridge in storm, and wind 
and snow reveled on the track to Oberlin, where a day 
brought no abatement of the winter's rigor 

In the train again and still snow-bound, running 
through a tunnel of dark and heavy storm. Cleveland 
and Buffalo and Albany under cover. New York is 
struggling with storm. Talmage is preaching on "Who 
can stand before His cold?" A tempest lay upon him, 
and some were saying, "Who can stand before his 
blast?" His platform is what Homer might call a 
"wind-loved nook." At Broadway Tabernacle Dr. Tay- 
lor shows us how our lives may be all sunshine in the 
sweetness of our Lord. No touch of winter has reached 
his congregation. 

Out on the deck of the swift Arizona, still in cloud and 
mist, and wind and cold, with only a gleam of sunlight 
as we leave our native land, the storm pipes up its fa- 
vorite furies for a frolic on the broad Atlantic. They 
shout and gambol and play well the lawn-tennis of the 
sea. We are " rocked in the cradle of the deep," but 
the stern foot of old Boreas is on the rocker 

The days and nights march on with many grave and 
earnest thoughts. The weight of eternity rests upon 
the ship. Less than eight days from New York, and 
only ten of travel from 3006 Pine Street, and lo ! here is 
Fastnet Point with its light, then Oueenstown and Liv- 
erpool. The desired haven is reached. Good-bye, old 
ocean. There is rest on thy mighty billows, and recu- 



TRAVELS IN EUROPE. 43 1 

peration and wondrous uplift. "The sea is His and He 
made it." "We have seen His wonders on the deep." 
Our hearts are preaching sermons of faith and gratitude 
and love. We praise God, we bless the ship. Life is 
worth the living. 

Proceeding directly to London, they spent there two 
Sabbaths, hearing Spurgeon and Dr. Parker, and wit- 
nessing the remarkable work of Mr. Moody, then labor- 
ing there. 

Leaving London in the latter part of February, they 
proceeded by way of Paris to Nice. Tarrying here two 
weeks, they then moved leisurely from point to point 
on the Mediterranean coast, and through Italy to Na- 
ples, where they took steamer for Egypt and the Holy 
Land. His letters to the friends at home describe 
some of the scenes and incidents encountered by the 
way. He writes of Nice : 

Especially lovely is Nice, a great gathering-place of 
aristocracy. The carnival held there for six days is said 
now to rival that at Rome. Music and dancing, feasting 
and masquerading, and all sorts of gaiety and junketing 
continue day and night. Then comes Ash- Wednesday, 
and their pleasures end in ashes. The people are so 
weary with excesses they find it a relief to draw down 
and be religious a while. But the best sights by far we 
saw at Nice were the faces of beloved friends. 

The passage by steamer from Naples to Alexandria 
was a smooth and delightful one. They tarried in this 
once imperial city only a brief while, and then went on 
to the more attractive city of Cairo. One day of their 
sojourn there was given to an excursion to the Great 
Pyramid. Of this he gives the following interesting 
account : 



432 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Luncheon is packed, the carriage is ready, and now 

for a climb up the mountain of stone It is seven 

miles distant from Cairo, through an avenue of acacia- 
trees all the way, and the fragrance comes up from the 
green fields of the Nile, dewy and sweet. 

Now we reach the bedlam of Arabs at the base, and the 
Pyramid stands up before us vast and mighty. " Forty 
centuries are looking down." Can we ever make the as- 
cent ? No, not alone. The layers of stone average three 
feet in thickness. The sheik assigns to one three stal- 
wart Arabs. Abdallah takes the right hand, Sulieman 
the left, and Ibraham lifts and pushes from behind. 
Some make the ascent with two, and some even with 
one. The Arabs are ready for the long pull ; you go 
flying up one step, and then another, and then another, 
and stop and take breath. Abdallah says, " You good 
man, I good Arab ; I, a No. i Arab." Sulieman says, 
" I satisfy you, you satisfy me." Ibraham chimes in, 
"I do well, you give me good backsheesh." Still on we 
go ; the view widens, and the greatness of the Pyramid 
grows upon you. On the one side is the emerald of the 
Nile valley, on the other the utter desolation of the 
desert. Where the river goes, there is life ; where the 
sand reigns, there are waste and death. 

The grandeur of the view is constantly increasing. 
These tremendous stones, no such are quarried now. 
There in the far distance across the Nile is the mountain 
where they were cut. One hundred thousand men were 
ten years in building the causeway, over which they 
were dragged by human hands, and raised inch by 
inch to their place. Be careful not to look directly 
down, lest you have a giddy head. Objects of interest 
up and down the valley come out into greater distinct- 
ness. Here at your feet near by are the other two Pyr- 
amids of Gizeh, and the solemn Sphinx and smaller 
tombs. Farther on, the Pyramids of Sakkara and the 



VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND. 433 

ruins of great temples. Still beyond are the Pyramids 
of Dashur. There is the site of ancient Memphis, once 
the world's metropolis, and to the northward Heliopolis, 
with its single obelisk and memories of Moses and Jo- 
seph, and all the learning of ancient Egypt. Cairo lifts 
a thousand minarets into the clear air, its citadel crowned 
with the alabaster mosque of Mehemet Ali. You are 
looking into the granary of the old world. You see the 
seven years of plenty ; you see the twelve sons of Jacob 
coming to buy corn, and Joseph next to the king. The 
long Nile unwinds like a sheet of silver ; the centuries 
drop from out the past like falling stars ; the kingdoms of 
the old world and the glory thereof pass before you. 

Sulieman says, " Look ! you sha'n't fall — me know my 
business — we hold you safe." And these dark-eyed chil- 
dren of the desert sat at one's feet on the topmost stone 
for a long time speechless, while the magnificence of 
the scene on every side was taken slowly and thoroughly 
in. A day at the Pyramids is one of a thousand. By 
and by it was time to make the descent, which is much 
more difficult than the ascent. Abdallah said, "You 
look in my eye ; isn't I true man ? I take you safe ; it 
is my business. Now come, we hold you sure," and they 
did ; they were faithful servants, and their reward was 
not wanting. 

From Port Said they went by steamer to Jaffa, the 
ancient Joppa, where, with a large party of gentlemen 
and ladies, they began the tent-life and horseback 
travelling, by which they made the tour of Palestine. 
He thus writes of the excitement and mishaps attend- 
ing the beginning of their long, romantic journey of 
four hundred miles : 

It was a stirring time in old Jaffa, the afternoon our 
party made trial and selection of horses for the journey 
19 



434 THE LIFE °F CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

through Palestine. Forty or more were brought on the 
course in front of the hotel. Soon the horse of one lady 
came running in with the rider pale and frightened. 
She declared she wanted a sheep and not an Arabian 
horse for her journey. There was a general strike among 
the ladies for moderate horses. One gentleman's horse 
ran, and brought up in a drove of camels. An aged 
clergyman's horse ran away, and he was finally thrown 
to the ground, and taken into the hotel unconscious and 
remained so for several hours. Most of the horses were 
spirited high-steppers, others were more quiet. The 
horsemanship was varied, — some was stylish and some 
had no style at all. In the prancing of the horses, fre- 
quently there was ample space between the rider and 
horse to see the sun, moon, and stars. 

Finally the choices were made with reasonable satis- 
faction, nearly every one of the party, however, having 
the secret preference for a neighbor's horse instead of 
his own. But the horses were soon worked into line 
and became serviceable, a strong attachment in some 
cases growing up between horse and rider, though every 
day brought its incidents. 

Of their company and tent-life he has left this graphic 
description : 

Our camp consists of twenty-seven travellers, fifty- 
three Arabs, and eighty-seven horses 

Our travelling party of twenty-seven is composed of 
twenty-one gentlemen and six ladies, two from Ireland, 
eight from Scotland, seven from America, and ten from 
England. The company is much after one's own heart, 
and we can never forget the days of pilgrimage in this 
Holy Land, or the nights of communion around the 
camp-fires when the day is done and the Oriental heavens 
come forth with their splendor. 






VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND. 435 

We have thirteen tents, including the large dining and 
prayer-meeting tent. When we are resting in tent, it is 
a comely, attractive town, the twelve smaller tents cir- 
cling about the larger one in the centre. When we 
mount and move, it is a cavalcade stretching on more 
than half a mile. 

The tents have perpendicular walls eight feet high, 
and then run up to a point fifteen feet above the ground. 
Inside they are lined with blue, so as to protect the eye 
from excessive light, and the blue is finely decorated 
with designs in white and orange and scarlet cloth. On 
rive of the tents the stars and stripes float, and on the 
others, the flag of England. The long dining-room tent 
is richly embroidered along the ridge outside with red 
cloth, and at the centre flies our American ensign with 
the British banner at each extremity. From this tent 
rises the voice of song and prayer every evening, and 
the Scripture is read pertaining to the scenes in Holy 
Land visited that day. At Jericho, for instance, we read 
the account in Joshua of the surrender of the city, and 
our Lord's visit there when the blind man was cured, 
and the sweetening of the waters by the great prophet, 
while we used the waters from the same refreshing 
spring. Our encampment is always on some memorable 
site, and hence, also, near some famous well, for Ori- 
ental life always centres about a well. 

Our camp assistants are divided into two classes : the 
men who care for the tents and the men who manage 
the commissariat. We are awakened in the morning by 
the sound of the trumpet, loud and long and clear. The 
trumpeter marches quite round the circle filling the 
dawn with the ancient Hebrew melodies. In an hour 
comes the second call, which is breakfast. As we go, 
we leave all the luggage at our tent door. When break- 
fast is over, we see neither tents nor luggage. The men 
have gathered up all our M carriages," folded our beds 



436 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

and tents and are off for the night's camping-place. The 
dining tent soon follows. Our lunch is spread at noon 
on a cloth in the shade of an oak or terebinth tree, near 
a spring of water. 

When we reach our halting-place for the night, the 
tent-houses give their welcome. The flags are flying. 
Your tent door is open ; you know it by the number. 
Your luggage is all there. Your bed, with iron bed- 
stead, is neatly made. The toilet table, with white cloth 
and towels and water, is all complete. The central tent- 
pole has hooks for all your wraps and for the candles, 
and while you throw yourself on the lounge, weary from 
the engrossing work of the day, a cup of real tea, hot 
enough to suit any lover of that beverage, is served. 
The sugar and goat's milk come with it, and you are 
cheered and made ready for the ample dinner that in 
due time follows. 

The Arabians were very faithful in their service, 
capable of strong attachment, and afforded us great 
amusement. Their work was very hard, but they never 
appeared to be weary. Their circles at night around 
the camp-fire, with story and laughter, seemed never to 
break up ; it was the veritable "Arabian Nights' Enter- 
tainment." They were astir at the break of dawn, feed- 
ing and grooming the horses, and we could not find 
when they took their sleep. A little tempest among 
them was of constant occurrence ; their anger burns up 
and dies down again like a fire of shavings ; but while 
the heat is on, it is intense. Hot, forcible Arabic words 
exploded in their mouths like a mine of dynamite, and 
in an hour they would be like doves. Mahomet was the 
head of the tent-moving work, and had a voice like a 
bull of Bashan. When boxes, and tent-poles, and tables, 
and camp-stools were all in dire confusion, and each 
man pulling a separate way, I have seen him bow over 
and put his hands on his knees, and roar in classic 



VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND. 437 

Arabic until all the men stopped, and profound silence 
reigned. Then he would give his orders. In a great 
storm of wind and rain, which came upon the camp, 
they were heroic and efficient. One held a tent-pole in 
place, so preserving the whole tent from destruction for 
a long time. Another was set to quiet the fear.of a lady, 
and protect her, while occupying a tent alone. He said, 
" I watch, you sleep," and stood near watching to see if 
she did sleep. Soon she opened her eyes and he said, 
" Sleep, lady, sleep. I watch, you sleep." She feigned 
sleep and deceived him and he was soon on the floor of 
the tent himself, snoring like the seven sleepers. 

Their journey was occasionally -marked by amusing 
incidents like the following : 

Lunching about three miles from the Dead Sea, one 
of our good men expressed great regret at not having 
bathed in it while there. Raphael, our Jehu, was dis- 
patched back with him at a rapid gait. He duly bathed 
in the bitter waters, and hastening to overtake the party, 
his horse stepped into a deep hole and fell, and scattered 
the rider far and near, his black coat being a great suf- 
ferer. This was the last wild-Arab riding he did. A 
weighty member of the High Church was riding along, 
meditating, no doubt, upon the advantages of that over 
the Broad Church, when suddenly his horse went down 
on his knees, sending the rider full length forward in 
the dust, affording the rest of us an amusing illustration 
of the Low Church. 

To stop a kicking horse or donkey, the Arabs jerk 
their heads up into the air. They can't have their 
heads and their heels up in the air at the same time. It 
is musical in the animal portion of the encampment at 
night. The horses frequently salute each other, and of 
the most vigorous exhortations of the donkeys there is 



43§ THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

no end. The calm and placid countenance of the don- 
key at all other times gives no intimation of the deeply- 
agitated state of feeling that prevails within when he 
brays. His call seems to be an appeal to the nations 
and ages. Certainly Socrates heard it, as well as Balaam. 
The case of the dumb ass that spoke to Balaam is the 
only one of dumbness that has ever appeared in the 
East. In making selection of these animals, it is easy 
to find a singer. It is claimed that a stone tied to the 
tail of a donkey will stop his music, but this lacks proof. 

The changes and " Signs of Promise " which he dis- 
cerned in different parts of the Holy Land are thus 
spoken of: 

A great change has come over this land in the last 
fifteen years. A carriage road has been made from 
Jaffa to Jerusalem, and is now extended to Bethlehem. 
A telegraph wire runs to these points, and to Nablous, 
the old city of Shechem where Jacob's well was, and 
where the blessings and cursings were read from Ebal 
and Gerizim, and thence on to Nazareth, Tiberias, and 
Damascus. In Nazareth is heard the puff of three 
steam engines ; and the immemorial hand-mill where 
the women grind, has given way to making flour by 
steam. 

The extension of the city of Jerusalem outside the 
old walls is a surprise to the visitor of to-day. In my 
first journey to that city only the hospice of the Rus- 
sians was without the gates. Now a considerable town 
has been built up both to the north and west of the an- 
cient city. A German colony has built a town out of 
the city toward the plain of Rephaim, which for thrift 
and business looks like a manufacturing village in Massa- 
chusetts. The London Missionary Society has an insti- 
tution where they are training Jewish boys in the art of 



VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND. 439 

farming and carpentry, and other trades. Hospitals and 
schools are founded, and religious institutions of various 
kinds looking toward the care of the sick and the poor 
and orphans. In convenience and neatness these are up 
with the work done in Chicago. In Bethlehem, a new 
life is stirring in even a more marked way. The stones 
are gathered out of the fields, stone fences are built, the 
fallow land broken up, and abundant harvests appear 
once more. 

God is preparing good things for days to come. The 
Jew is coming back to Palestine. The signs are many 
of a new era in history in this respect. The Christian 
also is coming to Palestine, not as in the time of the 
Crusaders, to rescue the Holy Sepulchre from the Mos- 
lem, not to worship at the sacred places, but to carry 
the Gospel, and to do the works of the Lord. Churches 
are formed in all the leading towns, by some of our 
various missionary societies, and pastors are stationed 
there. At Jaffa and Bethlehem, and Nablous and Naz- 
areth, and Acre, and at other points as well as in Jeru- 
salem, good houses of worship are built, a people gath- 
ered, and excellent and effective Christian work is done. 
On these churches Christian bells ring on the Sabbath, 
and the hills of the Holy Land echo with the sweet 
melody of their music. There is a chime in Jerusalem, 
and a fine peal of bells also. 

Schools have been instituted at all these points and 
are doing a noble work. A lady of Philadelphia, spend- 
ing a Sunday in Nazareth, found a school established 
by three English ladies. It was crippled and in want, 
and she has since supported it in an ample way, and a 
hundred pupils in it are the glorious reward of her be- 
nevolence. It was a goodly sight to see these scholars 
sitting together with their teacher on the Lord's day 
singing the songs of Zion. 

Mr. Coates, of Paisley, Scotland, ^pent a Sunday in 



440 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Nablous, and found a converted Syrian, Mr. El Karey, 
preaching the Gospel to the people without aid or con- 
veniences. He built a church for the congregation, and 
paid the preacher $500 a year while he lived. We heard 
from Mr. El Karey in his own church of the great bless- 
ing on his work. 

Miss Arnott's school at Jaffa is a most interesting work. 
She is daughter of Prof. Arnott, of Glasgow, Scotland, 
and has buried her life in this old city of Dorcas, for the 
benefit of that class for whom Dorcas sewed and toiled, 
and a beautiful school of over forty girls gladdens her 
devotion. 

There is an orphanage for boys at Jerusalem founded 
by the Germans, which has in it 300 inmates, and a 
brighter or more beautiful set of children is seldom 
seen. There are several branch establishments of this 
kind in different places in the Bible Land, and a Ger- 
man Christian of age and character gives his whole time 
to this service. There is a girls' orphanage in Jerusalem 
which has ninety pupils, cared for, taught, and trained. 
The house is built over the square in front of the sup- 
posed house of Pontius Pilate. In excavating two 
stories below the surface, they came upon a stone pave- 
ment which had a game marked on it by the Roman 
soldiers, such as is still seen in the Forum at Rome, and 
in other places which Roman troops occupied. 

The Christian hospitals are a great blessing to this 
land. A building is established for the care of the sick, 
and in connection with it is a lecture-room where, every 
morning, the sick may have free medical attendance. 
The ailing ones come in and are seated. The Bible is 
read, and a direct Gospel address given for the soul, and 
then care is given to the body. Hundreds have the Gos- 
pel preached to them in this way. There are ladies from 
England engaged in this work in the larger towns, whose 
record will be read to the joy of angels in the last day. 



VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND. 441 

Of the pleasure to be derived from such a taste of 
the patriarchal mode of life, and of the special benefit 
it yields to the student of the Scriptures, he says : 

Palestine is a land of tents and pilgrims. The patri- 
archs and prophets had no continuing city here, but 
lived a tent-life, and sought one to come. It is a great 
privilege to be dwelling in the brightness and beauty of 
spring, in moving tabernacles — pilgrims here as were 
all our fathers. 

It is a great help to any student of the Bible to study 
it on the ground. The Land is the best commentary on 
the Book. Instruction and suggestion come in at every 
point — aid that can be secured from no other source. 
les, i: is very helpful to go over this sacred historic 
ground in company with so many learned Christian 
men. You receive the combined thought of their minds, 
and one thought leads to another, till a flood of light is 
often thrown upon interesting points of Scripture. One 
great thing is that such travel increases love for the 
Bible and new interest in its study. Another is the 
deepening conviction of its thorough and entire genuine- 
ness. It also warms the love and faith of the soul for 
service, and draws it to Christ with a great inward 
longing. 

•• Bless the Lord, O my soul ! " These words of Da- 
vid swell up within, till one's heart breaks with desire 
to fly home to God from these hills so marked with the 
footprints and lighted with the glory of His won- 
drous Son. 



Rev. I. E. Dwinell. D.D.. his life-long friend, who 
with Mrs. Dwinell were of their company, has sent to 
us the following picture of Dr. Goodell, as he appeared 
throughout this interesting tour of the Holy Land : 



19* 



442 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Dr. Goodell, during this Palestinian trip, was full of abound- 
ing joy. His figure was a noticeable one. He wore a black 
cut-away coat, broad-brimmed cork hat, and he sat firm and 
erect on his dark bay Syrian horse. The rider and horse were 
a conspicuous sight in the long winding line of advance over 
the hills and through the valleys. And whenever any one of 
the company of sympathetic tastes was fortunate enough to get 
within the range of conversation with him, the tide of senti- 
ment and feeling suggested by the sights, filling him to the 
brim, at once overflowed in rich, glad, sparkling streams. He 
abounded in Bible reminiscences connected with the places, 
and poured them forth with a freedom and freshness as if he 
had just been reading up for that special occasion and place. I 
remember especially one time when we were reclining after 
lunch near the Pool of Gideon, where the three hundred had 
lapped water like dogs — the goats came and nibbled the grass 
on a high crag above us overhanging the pool and fretted with 
drooping maiden-hair fern ; and the black cattle came winding 
down the sides of the mountain to the spring which gushed 
out at the foot ; he reproduced the scenes between Gideon and 
the Midianites, so vividly, we could almost see them. 

When leaving the little city of Nain, he remarked upon the 
wonderful resurrection power which had marked that region as 
if there was something there that weakened the hold of death 
on the body ; as that was the region where not only the son of 
the widow of Nain was raised, but where Samuel appeared to 
Saul, and the son of the Shunamite was raised to life by Elisha. 
In Nazareth, about the Sea of Galilee — everywhere where we 
planted our feet in the footsteps of our Lord, his heart, his 
mind, and his imagination were full. His remarks did not dis- 
play mere sentiment, but tender pathos and poetry as well. 

He took great interest in the signs of renewal and recovery 
of the people which he observed. Every missionary, teacher, 
church, Christian school or hospital, piece of modern road, 
engine-whistle, or steam- mill, was a glass through which he 
read the speedy coming regeneration of the land. 

With all this, there was often a far-away look on his face. 
Mrs. Goodell had received an injury and had been obliged to 
leave him at Jerusalem and go round by water to Beirut, and 
thence by diligence to Damascus, to intercept the party. Then, 



VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND. 443 

too, the loved church and work were far distant. Evidently 
his thoughts were much in the past and with the absent loved 
ones. 

He was diligent in collecting mementoes and curiosities from 
the places he visited, to aid him in his work. Among these was 
a crown of thorns from Jerusalem, a shepherd's crook, some 
Palestinian wine for his first communion season at home, and 
a bottle of water from the river Jordan at the source, as the 
river gushes forth from the foot of Mt. Hermon in crystalline 
pureness, for baptismal purposes. His heart glowed with sa- 
cred interest in these things, and he secured them not from any 
superstitious feeling, but for the benefit of his own people and 
for the gratification of his own deep sentiment. 

One day he told me he felt the trip was doing him great 
good, that it was filling up the fountains for future use. 

At Damascus he had foreshadowings of the disease which 
afterward gave him so much trouble. Still he felt he must see 
Baalbec ; and the symptoms yielding to treatment after a few 
days, he again mounted the saddle. He enjoyed the majestic 
ruins at this magnificent centre of heathen worship, but it was 
noticeable that he had no such enthusiasm as when amid the 
scenes endeared to him by sacred story. 

The following valuable contribution to this chapter 
concerning Dr. Goodell's journey to the Holy Land has 
been received from Selah Merrill, D.D. LL.D., United 
States Consul at Jerusalem : 

United States Consulate, Jerusalem, Syria, 
March 10, i336. 

.... It was very evident that his former visit had only served 
to deepen his interest in all sacred places, and in fact in every- 
thing that pertained to Palestine. 

We who reside here sometimes wonder why people in such 
numbers continue to come every year to this country, seeing 
there is so little to attract them hither. The wealth and power 
of the world are not here, nor are the stately ruins and build- 
ings in which men take pride. Moreover, other countries have 
grander mountains and richer scenery than this. Other coun- 



444 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

tries are alive while this is dead ; for although in Palestine na- 
ture makes an effort to be joyful, and in the spring for a few 
weeks the fields and hillsides are carpeted with green and dot- 
ted with flowers, yet soon " the grass withereth " and " the 
flower fadeth "; and for many long months a parched, dead 
earth looks up to a brazen sky. The old writer who spoke of 
this as " The land of sadness," expressed what was most true. 
In spite, however, of the desolation everywhere apparent, Dr. 
Goodell said that his interest in this country increased with 
every year of his life. He was interested in its archaeology as 
throwing light on the Old and New Testaments. He was inter- 
ested in it as the home of the Hebrew race, and as the scene of 
some of the most surprising events in history, but chiefly was 
he interested in it because it was the land where Jesus of Naza- 
reth lived, labored, and died. 

Dr. Goodell was no ordinary observer, but was continually on 
the alert to gather information which should make the connec- 
tion between the Book and the Land more vivid and real. 

Seldom have I met a traveller who entered into the spirit of 
the Holy Land so fully as did our friend who has now passed 
away. In this respect he reminded me of General Gordon, 
whom I knew quite intimately, and who in his tenderness to- 
ward Christ and sacred things was most remarkable. Here 
even in this land of ruins, poverty, and misery, Dr. Goodell 
seemed to feel that he was near the Master ; here he found and 
communed with Christ. 

I do not say that because of this peculiarity he was better 
than other men, since this was partly due to his own character and 
temperament. For him to live was Christ, whether in America 
or Palestine, whether by the great Mississippi or on the banks 
of the Jordan. Having seen hundreds of Christian travellers 
in this country, I can say that he, to a greater degree than most 
others, was prepared to be benefited by what he saw and learned ; 
and in the light of what we now know we can say that by his 
visit here his spirit was being ripened for its heavenly life. 

In his presence one could not fail to observe that sincerity, 
humility, and especially reverence characterized all his words 
and actions. At the same time he was everywhere and under 
all circumstances one of the most cheerful men that I ever 
met. He never complained of hardships. Travelling, particu- 



ILLNESS AND RECOVERY. 445 

larly in this country so barren of comforts, which abound in 
civilized lands, is a severe test of character. Very good people 
frequently get out of patience because the discomforts are so 
many. Dr. Goodell had counted the cost and knew what to 
expect. No sign of impatience on account of the unpleasant 
things incident to a journey in Palestine was ever visible in 
him. His presence was like sunshine to all who were connected 
with him in any way. 

In another respect I have seldom seen his equal, and that 
was in his power to say just the right thing respectng sacred 
places. It is very easy to talk about Palestine and its interest- 
ing localities, but much that is said and written is common- 
place. Dr. Goodell really said little, but his words were gems. 
Language could not be chosen that would be more appropriate, 
expressive, and beautiful than was his when he spoke of some 
scene or place made familiar and sacred by the presence of 
Christ. Could his words, which he dropped with ease and ap- 
parently from a full heart, have been written down exactly as 
they were uttered, they would form a unique and precious con- 
tribution to the literature of the Holy Land, and far more than 
that, they would be to his friends invaluable as an index of his 
rare mental gifts, and as an expression of his devout spirit so 
wonderfully enriched with Christian graces. 

When I began to write I thought I would merely say that as 
a man the presence of Dr. Goodell in Palestine was like sun- 
shine, — and as a Christian his presence was a blessing. Any- 
thing better than this I have not said, and nothing truer could 
I say were I to extend my letter to an indefinite length. 

Little did we realize as we bade each other good-bye, little 
did any of his friends realize, that from treading the hills about 
Jerusalem he was so soon to walk the golden streets ; that from 
the burial-place of our Lord he was so soon to ascend and be 
with Him in glory. 

The sickness which so nearly terminated his life fell 
upon him the 19th of April, just as his tour through 
the Holy Land was ending. He says : 

The last day I spent in the saddle in the Holy Land 



446 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

I was conscious of being attacked by a subtle foe. The 
night before, my tent was pitched on the banks of a 
murmuring stream, and several times during the night 
I awoke in much confusion, thinking the noise of the 
brook was the down-pour of rain upon my tent-cloth. 
All day, as I rode down the graceful slopes of Mt. Leb- 
anon among the fig and olive groves, with the Mediter- 
ranean before me as a mirror, there followed a shadow 
of coming illness. Dismounting from my horse at Bei- 
rut, I went to my room at the Hotel d'Orient, sick. 

He thought at first that it was only a slight illness, 
from which he would soon recover. The physician he 
called encouraged him in that opinion. But this phy- 
sician, and several others summoned successively to his 
aid, as he feebly moved from place to place on his 
homeward journey, were utterly baffled in their en- 
deavors to stay the disease. With this sinking sickness 
upon him, as he slowly and painfully journeyed, he 
touched at Smyrna, where Dr. Constantine's work 
greatly interested him ; at Athens, where he and Mrs. 
Goodell spent the twenty-fifth anniversary of their wed- 
ding-day on Mar's Hill ; and at Constantinople, where 
he heard in his sick-room the echoes of the annual 
missionary meetings then being held there, though he 
could not attend them ; and where he was the guest 
of his friend, Dr. Washburn, President of Robert Col- 
lege, who took him to his delightful home on the 
heights of the Bosphorus, overlooking the " heavenly 
waters of Asia," and brought to him the physician of 
the Grand Vizier, and sought by all the means that 
Christian friendship could think of to effect his recov- 
ery, but in vain. He grew steadily worse, until he 
reached Leamington, England, the residence of his 
brother-in-law, Mr. Charles Fairbanks. There in the 



ILLNESS AND RECOVERY. 447 

last and finally victorious struggle with his disease, he 
was brought very nigh to death. " He seemed," he 
says, " as one borne in a peaceful way out and beyond 
all thought and care of earthly things into sight of the 
gates of gold — into the gleam of the eternal morning. 

But the time was not yet come It was not the 

call to rest, but it was preparation for service." His 
recovery, he thought, was in answer to prayer. When 
the danger was greatest, intimation of his condition was 
sent by ocean cable to his people in St. Louis. The 
message came Saturday. The next day, in the after- 
noon of the Sabbath, they assembled in the church par- 
lors, and entreated of God that the life of their pastor 
might be spared to them ; and in that very hour he 
began to amend. The next day, on Monday, the ocean 
cable said, " Better." 



XXIV. 

LIVING FOR THE GLORY OF 
CHRIST. 

1884—1885. 



" The large, comforting, useful soul is always a soul that 
sweetly rests in the everlasting arms, while it works with 
restless energy to do the bidding of its Lord." — C. M. Lam- 
SON, D.D. 

" The more willing we are to give Jesus the very best we 
have, the more nearly are we attaining to genuine holiness." — 
T. L. Cuyler, D.D. 

" Of the whole sum of human life, no small part is that which 
consists of a man's relations to his country, and his feelings 
toward it." — Gladstone. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

RETURN TO WORK — THE LAST YEAR. 

As soon as he had recovered sufficiently to endure 
the fatigues of travel, Dr. Goodell turned his face home- 
ward. He embarked at Liverpool September 13, 1884, 
on the steamship Alaska, and reached New York, after 
a quick passage, September 21st. During the home- 
ward voyage he wrote : 

Coming home to the New World the heart leaps with 
strong desire to build more and better for Him who 
gave us this wondrous field and the unfailing seed. God 
never seemed so good and gracious before, nor life so 
sacred a trust for highest uses, nor the privilege so great 
of living in this harvest age of the world. The lives 
that God spares and prolongs will He bless and make 
useful, if they move to the music of His will and provi- 
dence, as the anthem of redeeming love is sung down 
the ages. 

From New York they proceeded to St. Johnsbury, 
Vt., where they remained a month for further recuper- 
ation. His people in St. Louis had engaged a supply 
for their pulpit until the close of the year, and they 
wrote to their pastor not to be too anxious, or in haste 
to return, before he had recovered his full strength. 
But his heart — kindled to an intenser affection for his 
people by the manifestation of love for him they had 
given through their prayers in his behalf during his 
late illness, and eager to resume the pastoral work once 

(45i) 



452 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

more — would not suffer him to delay any longer than 
was necessary, and he returned to St. Louis, October 
30th. On the following Sabbath, November 2d, he sat 
in the pulpit, though he did not preach — the pulpit was 
supplied by Rev. Edward Hawes, D.D., of New Haven, 
whose sermon, most appropriate to the occasion, was 
on the text : " Cast not away, therefore, your confi- 
dence, which hath great recompense of reward." At 
the close, Dr. Goodell spoke a few words of greeting, and 
pronounced the benediction. The sound of his voice 
once more brought tears of gladness to many eyes. 

On the following evening the congregation assembled 
in the church to give him and Mrs. Goodell their formal 
greeting, and the words of Dea. L. B. Ripley, their 
chosen speaker, — "The feeling uppermost in all our 
hearts is deep, sincere gratitude to our Heavenly Father 
for this reunion amid earthly scenes," — expressed the 
sentiment of the whole company, suggesting at once 
their past fears and their present joy. Without any 
further delay he entered at once upon his pastoral work, 
returning to it with the "joy of a king going to his cor- 
onation." 

He had hardly settled down to his work when he re- 
ceived an urgent call from the First Congregational 
Church, Washington, D. C, to become their pastor. 
He declined the call, saying: 

If I leave one field for another without some need of 
change in myself, or in my church, there is no gain to 
the cause I serve ; still an important church is without 
a pastor as before. I have twelve years of service, 
which God has blessed, behind me here, which is a great 
help. I love my people for their works' sake, for their 
own sake, and for the image of Christ which I see iv 



RETURN TO WORK — THE LAST YEAR. 453 

them. They have stood by me like a rock. In my long 
and dangerous sickness, they made the hour of prayer 
a Pentecost, crying to God for the return of their pastor 
in health, till God gave them the answer in their souls. 
The providence of God, as I read it, does not open the 
door for my going out on the edge of my return to the 
country. 

While his decision was pending he had received 
many letters from different persons in the valley of 
the Mississippi, entreating him not to leave the field. 
To Mr. Thomas Pope, Quincy, 111., the writer of one 
of these, he wrote in reply : 

I think the decision will be such as to please you. 
Your words concerning my work in the past were very 
gratifying. I do not deserve them, but in my soul I 
want this great valley of the Mississippi built up in 
righteousness and truth. 

His choice to remain with them increased to a still 
"higher degree the love of his people, and seemed to 
make more tender his own for them. This tender love 
found expression in a manner characteristic of him. 
Soon after the beginning of the new year, one Wednes- 
day evening, the night of their prayer-meeting, as the 
people came into the chapel they found the com- 
munion-table standing before the pastor's desk, all 
spread for the celebration of the sacrament of the 
Lord's Supper. He said to them, that since his sick- 
ness he had greatly desired such an hour — an hour in 
which he could draw very near to the Lord with his 
beloved family (his church). The Scripture read and 
-commented upon was the 26th chapter of Matthew. 



454 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

The occasion was most delightful — one of those mem- 
orable scenes in which their pastor's image is now en- 
shrined. 

This year of 1885, the last year of his life, he had the 
usual number of engagements outside of his parish 
work. Though he might, with good reason, have de- 
clined them all, in view of his recent long absence from 
home and his severe sickness, he accepted and fulfilled 
them with signal ability. 

One of these engagements was to deliver a course of 
lectures upon "The Organization of the Church for 
Christian Work " to the students of Oberlin Theological 
Seminary. They were given in the first week of May, 
and were greatly enjoyed by all who heard them. Each 
lecture in the course had for its opening sentence, " The 
only thing worth living for is the glory of Christ "; words 
often upon his lips during the last years of his life, and 
of which it might be said, as of certain words often 
used by the saintly George Herbert, " the repetition of 
them seemed to perfume his mind and leave an Ori- 
ental fragrance in his very breath." 

Dr. Goodell was present at the annual meeting of the 
American Home Missionary Society at Saratoga in 
the first week of June, and, as in former years, con- 
tributed no small share to the interest of the occasion. 
In the absence of the society's president, Dr. Woolsey, 
of Yale College, Dr. Goodell, one of the vice-presidents, 
presided, and by his good humor, his urbanity, his 
skill in the control of audiences, and his felicity in in- 
troducing speakers, added much to the success of the 
meeting. One who was present says, that if the sparkle 
and effervescence there displayed could have been bot- 
tled up, like the waters of Saratoga, and transported to 
different parts of the country, to be opened in the 



RETURN TO WORK— THE LAST YEAR. 455 

churches, these would have been greatly refreshed and 
benefited. 

Besides presiding, Dr. Goodell, by preappointment, 
gave one of the addresses of the occasion. Its sub- 
ject was, in apostolic language, "A great door and 
effectual is opened, — and there are many adversaries." 
In the reports of the newspaper correspondents of 
the time, and of all who alluded to it, it was spoken 
of as a remarkable address, characterized by all the 
best qualities of his public efforts of this kind. It 
sparkled with epigrams, and was given with much fire 
and force. A few sentences will indicate its substance 
for thought : 

The peoples of the world are before the door. The 
Gospel is the good Samaritan. It always wins hearts 
when opened by one who has seen Jesus. We have large 
resources, if only they were consecrated to the uses of 
God's kingdom. But there are adversaries within and 
without the church. The worst foes are within, in the 
languid faith, doubt, luxury, and self-indulgence that 
prevail there. Our adversaries from without are no ob- 
stacle, they convert the church hesitant into the church 
militant and triumphant. As the kite rises in the face 
of the winds, so the cross rises in the face of opposition. 
Even Boston has at last a slight hope of salvation. Let 
her municipal government continue to arrest ministers 
for preaching the Gospel on the Common, and the evan- 
gelical message will be surer of a hearing. The- old 
beacon fires will flame again on the Tri-Mountain. If 
the devil will only go out of the angel-of-light business 
for a while, and heat up his ancient gridirons for the 
saints, the Church will rouse itself to meet him, and will 
prevail. We are in a cause that will triumph if we stand 
bv the banners. 



456 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL, 

To Mrs. Goodell he writes: 

Saratoga, Jane 7, 1885. 

My dear Wife : — I am resting and drinking the 
water. It is now Sunday, p.m., and I am on the piazza 
thinking of you. It is a bright day, and my love is 
warm and tender. I preached this morning to a crowded 
house, and God seemed to bless the service. "The 
Treasures of the Christian " was my subject. Many 
expressed personal profit and testified to their riches in 
Christ. It is a blessed thing. 

I hope you had a good class, and that God's blessing 
was on the people. I thank you for the Scripture se- 
lection so thoughtfully put in my Bible, and for all you 
have done for me. I am well and God is good. 

Your devoted Husband. 

To his daughter he writes : 

Saratoga, June 7, 1885. 

Dear Child : — There is a great deal of dress and 
show here, parade and fashion, but very little religion. 
They seem to care more for gay clothes than for a good 
heart. But a true lady must have a good heart. She 
must love God, and help the world to be better. She 
must care more for what she has inside than outside — 
love and faith, and sweetness and truth. I have been 
away a great while, it seems to me. I want to see home 
and the loved ones there. 

Mamma will tell me you have been a dear good 

child 

Your loving father, C. L. Goodell. 

We will not undertake to speak in detail of the labors 
at home and elsewhere which crowded the busy months 
of the year up to the time of his annual vacation of 
1885. The years of a pastor's life are much alike. 
Those labors were strenuous, as usual, and fruitful. 



RETURN TO WORK — THE LAST YEAR. 457 

He did not have a barren year in all his ministry in St. 
Louis. How this particular year of 1885 compared 
with others, the following note, sent to him by one of 
his people as he was about leaving for his summer va- 
cation, will show. Such people usually have good pas- 
tors. They contribute not a little to make them good. 

St. Louis, July 12, 1885. 

My dear Pastor l — I cannot let you go away for your sum- 
mer vacation without expressing in some degree my appreci- 
ation of the efficiency and faithful ministry of the last year — 
like all the years of your ministry here in kind, but excelling 
in degree. It seems to me that in the power of preaching, in 
the power of the pen, and in the power of Christian living and 
daily walk, it has been the best and strongest year of your work 
in Pilgrim Church. 

It is clear that God raised you up from sickness, and gave 
you back to us with increased spiritual power and intellectual 
vigor, for the achievement of a mighty work for His kingdom, 
and equally clear that you have an apprehension of this great 
mission. I want to thank you for the good you have done me, 
and to renew my pledge of allegiance and hearty support in the 
varied work you are called to perform, and to assure you of my 
fullest confidence in your wisdom and ability to do it. I trust 
you will have a restful vacation, and come back to us in the 
* fullness of blessing," with all your watchful powers of mind 
and soul strung and attuned to still greater things to the praise 
of His name. Faithfully yours. 

He spent his vacation in New York, St. Johnsbury, 
Vt., and Boston. Mrs. Goodell, constrained by family 
duty, remained at home in St. Louis through the sum- 
mer. His daughter, whom they had decided to place 
at school in the fall at the Female Seminary in Brad- 
ford, Mass., was his travelling companion. 

From the Union Depot, St. Louis, he sent back to 
his wife the following affectionate note hastily written 
20 



458 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

and deposited in the letter-box of the station during 
the few moments they were waiting for the train to 
start : 

St. Louis, July 15, 1885. 

Dear One : — We are at the station all right. God 
bless you. I have no words to express my admiration 
for your devotion to duty. 

" Not once nor twice in Nation's story 
Has the path of duty been the path of glory." 

The breeze is refreshing. " Now unto Him who loved 
us," etc. Yours ever, 

C. L. G. 

His visit to St. Johnsbury, which he called "My 
kingdom among the green hills," was greatly enjoyed 
by him. The " treasures of memory," which the past 
associations of the place brought to mind, lent an addi- 
tional charm to the beauty of its scenery, which he 
never grew weary of looking at and commenting upon. 
Only one thing was lacking to make his enjoyment of 
it complete — his wife was not there to enjoy it with 
him. Every spot he visited, every scene he looked 
upon, had some memory of her linked with it to en- 
hance its attractiveness. Had he known that it was 
the last time he should see it on earth, he could not 
have gazed upon the familiar landscape of hills, valley, 
and town with fonder look or more tender speech. 
" These wooded slopes will always be dearer to us," his 
sister-in-law, Mrs. Franklin Fairbanks, says, " because 
of that last summer's precious memories." 

While there he visited with his daughter the beau- 
tiful cemetery where his dust now lies, and pointed 
out to her the spot where he wished to have his 



RETURN TO WORK— THE LAST YEAR. 459 

grave. Did he have a presentiment that the end was 
near? 

To Mrs. Goodell he wrote : 

St. Johnsbury, August 4, 1885. 

My dearest E. : — It is Monday morning, just after 
breakfast, cold and chilly. St. J. is looking very beau- 
tiful. It is fresh and green and cool. It rains nearly 
every day. I feel greatly restored and strengthened 
every way. Every one is so kind, and all ask after you 
and long to see you. I have been sitting on the veranda 
a long time, thinking over and thanking God. I was 
sick in England one year ago. I thank you for taking 
care of me then. I graduated in Burlington thirty years 
ago to-day. Old memories come up very delightfully. 
I remember my unworthiness, and God's great and many 
mercies — how great ! how many ! I take L. this p.m. to 
go over to Burlington to show her where I graduated. 
God is good and dear and precious. My heart seems 
full of Him. I read the revised version all last evening, 
and my cup ran over. He restoreth my soul. I wish 
you would fill my stylographic pen, dear E. ; I cannot 
do anything without you. I have only one more Sun- 
day here, then two in Boston, then home. The thought 
of seeing you soon is very precious. 

Tell O. I thank him for his letter. All send love 
to you and him. Tell him to hold up the banner of 
Christ in summer's heat and winter's cold. He must 
not let it down if he wants the prize ; somebody must 
set a glorious example ; now is his time. 

In Boston he preached two Sabbaths, at two of the 
leading churches, for which he had been previously 
engaged. Leaving his daughter in St. Johnsbury, he 
went alone to Boston, and writes to Franklin Fairbanks, 
St. Johnsbury, Vt. : 



460 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Boston, August 27, 1885. 
My dear Brother : — Your letter I enjoyed very much. 
I thank you for its kind expressions. I have thought 
over with great joy the bright, sweet days at Under- 
clyffe. It is blessed to walk toward the King's gates 
with friends we love, and receive and give help all the 
journey through. I thank you and yours for all your 
kindness, and the comfort and good-will you gave me. 
I had a hot ride down, but a cool room at the Brunswick 
and a very pleasant Sabbath. I preached only once, 
there being but one service, but a large congregation. 
I am at work this week in book-stores, and among the 
ins and outs of this old city. I am having a very restful 
time. I hope the good angels visit you and M. in your 
loneliness. I hear well from St. Louis. 

During his stay in Boston he was the guest of his in- 
timate friend, Dr. A. E. Dunning, at Boston Highlands. 
Dr. Dunning says : 

He spent several days in my house, which was unoccupied 
except by him and myself. I have never had a friend whose 
companionship so constantly and joyfully kept in my mind the 
presence and love of God. His first exclamation each morning, 
as he looked over the great city, the low line of hills, and the 
open sea beyond, was one of gratitude and praise. He loved 
to recite the poem which he had taught the children of his 
congregation to repeat as a morning prayer : 

" The morning bright, 
With rosy light," etc. 

He would analyze the poem and show how comprehensive a 
prayer it is, and how it fitted his feelings. Then he would ex- 
claim, " What a beautiful world this is." So the day began 
with him. He went through those days like a prince — the son 
of the King of kings. 

He was fond of telling a good story, and was a most apprecia- 



RETURN TO WORK — THE LAST YEAR. 46 1 

tive listener when one was told to him. I recall his hearty laugh, 
his keen sense of humor, and the happy way in which he would 
sometimes attune a distinct thought of his Saviour with the 
pleasantries of common experience. In all moods he seemed 

to be reverently conscious of God I am glad and grateful 

that I knew him so well. I am glad that my boys knew 
him. He always sent some loving message to them. It was 
easy for him to win the love of others, because he lived so near 
to Christ. 



Returning from Boston to St. Johnsbury to take his 
daughter to school, he wrote to his son in St. Louis, 
just entering upon a business life : 

St. Johnsbury, September 5, 1885. 

My dear Son : — Your letters have been a pleasure to 
me, and your mother reports very pleasant times together 
with you. You have an opportunity to get acquainted 
with her, and to find what a splendid mother she is. And 
she also is finding out to her joy, what an affectionate 
and good son you can be. The school here has com- 
menced, — and how it carries me back to the time when 
you began here! As I think of it, I see you going to your 
room in the Hall, and busy at your base-ball, which is 
the only true study of a young man. 

Do not think of going away from your mother ; she 
couldn't keep the burglars off without you. 

I hear business is looking up some. I am very glad. 
I hope it will do so everywhere now, and that you will 
take a firm, steady hold, and share in the common good. 
I look to see you stick and do well. Ever so many tell 
me that they are sure you will be patient and faithful, 
and make a good business man. 

Love to mamma. 

Your affectionate Father. 



462 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

He wrote to Mrs. Goodell : 

11 On the Train," September to, 1885. 

My dear One : — I have been prospered on the jour- 
ney thus far. I am nearing home every hour, and it is 
so good. It is a joy to think I shall soon see you. Mrs. 
F. gave a good account of Laura. All is right and well. 
She has made a good start in her school at Bradford, 
and there is good hope. 

Tell the people Sunday that I will be with them at 
the prayer-meeting Wednesday night, and will bring 
them a cluster of grapes from Eshcol. 

Ever yours, C. 

Arriving home in St. Louis at the time appointed, 
about the middle of September, he entered upon his 
work with his customary earnestness. His more inti- 
mate friends, looking back afterward to this time, 
thought that his manner and words were marked by a 
deeper tenderness, greater seriousness, and increasing 
spirituality. One of his ministerial brethren says : " He 
seemed to be living on that border-land that so thinly 
divides God's upper kingdom from the lower." He 
labored with the diligence of one who says to himself : 
" Work while it is day ; the night cometh." He formed 
extensive plans of work for the winter, and entered 
upon their execution with great energy. 

A few days after his return, on the 25th of Septem- 
ber, he had the satisfaction of seeing the " Fair-Ground 
Mission " raised to the dignity of a church under the 
name of the Church of the Redeemer, through the 
action of an Ecclesiastical Council. At the same time 
Rev. Silas L. Smith was installed pastor of the church ; 
Dr. Goodell giving the charge to the pastor. 

At the semi-annual meeting of the St. Louis Dis- 



RETURN TO WORK— THE LAST YEAR. 463 

trict Association, which met October 1st with the 
Olive Branch Church, the Church of the Redeemer, 
the Union Evangelical Church, the Swedish Church, 
and the German Church, were added to the Associa- 
tion, — an event which gave great joy to Dr. Goodell, 
whose efforts in their behalf were thus crowned with 
success. 

In the following letter to his daughter at school we 
have a glimpse of his fatherly affection, and his para- 
mount concern for her spiritual welfare : 

5: Loon I :::':■:- :- 1885. 

My well-beloved Daughter : — We often think of 
you, and miss you much. It is a irra: thing to give up 
for a year so dear a child as you are. I hope you are 
making solid progress in French and music and study 
of the Bible. I knew you would like she is a 

noble Christian woman. I was sure also you would 
think Bradford a good school. We pray every day : b a I 
your soul may be kept sweet and pure and clean, free 
from all selfishness and pride and vanity and egotism, 
and filled with the precious love of Christ, who died for 
our 5 

V : ur letter to me was right good. 

Your affe :::; n ate Father 

He was present at the " Interdenominational Con- 
gress " held in 3:r. :irr .=,::. the first week in December, 
to consider the problems of city evangelization. To 
Dr. Josiah Strong's address of welcome Dr. Goodell 
inted to respond. The response, says Dr. 
.ington Gladder. hopeful and soulful, like 

the man." Its tone of hope was the inspiration of the 
whole meeting. One evening a of the Congress 

•as ^iven to the subject of " Christian Work for the 



464 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Population of Foreign Parentage." The paper open- 
ing the topic was by Rev. Henry A. Schauffler, of 
Cleveland, and " Dr. Goodell followed," Dr. Gladden 
says, " with one of his stirring addresses. The parable 
of the Great Supper gave him a text, and he made it 
luminous. Spread the right kind of a feast, he said, 
and the foreign population will come. Divine wisdom 
is wanted, and resolute faith, and with them these mul- 
titudes will be reached and the cities will be saved." 

By invitation of the Congregational Club of Chicago, 
which met, according to its custom, on the evening of 
Forefathers' Day, December 21, at the Palmer House, 
in commemoration of the Pilgrims, Dr. Goodell was 
present as a guest, and made the principal address of 
the evening. It was the last in the series of those 
brilliant addresses made by him in the latter years of 
his life before notable assemblies of our Congregational 
denomination. As it was the last, so it was, perhaps, 
the most stirring and impressive of all, — the song of a 
dying swan. 

The occasion was impressive both for what it com- 
memorated, and for the brilliancy and character of the 
company assembled. In that large company, number- 
ing three hundred and fifty gentlemen and ladies, were 
found the most distinguished people of the Congrega- 
tional body in the West. But the speaker was equal 
to the occasion. The address abounded in stirring pas- 
sages of eloquence and pithy sayings. We believe it 
will be as profitable and interesting for us to read ten 
or twenty years hence, as when it was spoken. For 
this reason we give a large part of it. 

Dr. Goodell said : 

The Mayflower is sailing yet, but she is entering new 



RETURN TO WORK— THE LAST YEAR. 465 

and strange seas, sometimes bright, and sometimes high 
and sounding as for storms. Old problems are passing 
away, yet many are at work at them still with their faces 
toward the past. We are often doing our work back 
where it is needed least, blind to the approaching dan- 
ger, when we should be alert ; blind also to the ap- 
proaching light, when we should see and trust. We are 
like the dog Noble, barking into the old hole when the 
coon had gone ; but sometimes he is there. 

New problems are pressing on — we must not neglect 
them. We must see in time the drift and tendencies of 
our civil and religious life. Our American humanity is 
a vast ship freighted with transcendent interests. God's 
living children are in charge, and on them, and not on 
past generations, rests the great work and responsibility 
of direction. We must "sail by the stars." We started 
poor, we have come to be the richest nation of the globe 
— forty-three billions of dollars. We started with a 
population that was homogeneous in blood and spirit, 
we have come to be one spotted and many-colored as 
Joseph's coat. We started as farm laborers largely, we 
are now a nation of manufacturers and merchant princes 
and inventors, of miners and craftsmen, and of the most 
multifarious commerce. We started with schools, teach- 
ing every child to read God's Word and to cast a clean, 
honest vote in God's sight. We have cast out the Bi- 
ble and cast down the ballot into cess-pools of corrup- 
tion, and have a vast army of President-makers that 
cannot read their vote nor write their names. Good has 
come in with an amazing growth, and evil has flooded 
upon us with a rapidity quite as amazing. 

The Mayflower has sailed out into unknown waters far 
away from plain Plymouth Rock ; we see it as a speck 
on the distant horizon. It is like the putting forth 
of a steamer from the quiet and sunny harbor to 
the vastness and terrors of the deep. At first, going 
20* 



466 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

out from the shore, it is calm and restful, and we say, 
"Bless me, this is delightful crossing the ocean !" By 
and by the mighty forces of the sea reach in and toss 
your ship as a straw upon the waves, and hold and 
handle you in their gigantic power as a helpless infant. 
You tremble at the thunder of the storm and bow be- 
fore the tumultuous and awful roll of the sea; are far 
from the starting-point, and new and large questions 
loom up and crowd on the State. Great urgencies are 
on us to apply Christianity to these necessities, and to 
carry out its principles in new and far extending ap- 
plications. Christian statesmanship can do this, and 
nothing else can. The times swarm with theorists and 
remedies ; but " other foundation can no man lay than 
that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." This is a 
Christian Republic, and, except it maintain the cleans- 
ing, renewing, and upbuilding power of Christ, it will 
go where other great nations have gone. Our Christi- 
anity is our salvation ; hence the tremendous stress 
in this, our day, to apply Christianity to every evil 
that menaces the State. This work is often very un- 
pleasant and distasteful, but there is no appeal. The 
Christian must be a true politician. He must see clear 
and vote straight. He must enter with his might into 
the thick of the conflict between right and wrong. He 
must strike the bright lance of his moral convictions 
right through the bosses of wickedness that control 
elections in our city pandemoniums. You would rather 
go to a prayer-meeting and sit and sing, it may be, and 
sit and sing, — yes. Well, I tell you to go to the polls 
and plan to put in the right men, or your church may 
burn. The church is becoming the object of bitter hate. 
These "ballot-box stuffers," many of them say, they 
have got done with God, and churches, and Christians. 
Christianity must mediate faithfully between capital and 
labor. It is a question our Pilgrim fathers knew noth- 



RETURN TO WORK— THE LAST YEAR. 467 

ing of. Christianity must work reform in the drink habit 
— another breaker before the Mayflower. Christianity- 
must maintain the Sabbath day for civil as well as relig- 
ious good. The Pilgrims rested and worshipped on 
Clark's Island on the cold December Sabbath. The 
Sabbath is the trunk of home-joy, and purity, and pub- 
lic peace, and virtue and order. You cannot cut that 
down and still have Sabbath blessings. Business cor- 
porations and great railway companies keep thousands 
of men employed on the Sabbath, while Christian stock- 
holders living on their Sunday toil sit devoutly in church 
in song and prayer. " Out on your church and canting 
piety! " say the weary men who are robbed of their Sun- 
day. What shall we say of the Christian families that 
keep the tradesmen busy Sundays, and take no pains to 
open the Sabbath gates for them ? Our fathers did not 
do this. They loved their God and His Sabbaths as 
they did their wives and their children. 

Christianity must rescue and honor the home. The 
deterioration of home-life among the American people 
is an alarming danger. This breaker, more than any 
other, threatens and tests the strength of the mighty 
ship that kissed the rock. It was filled with Christian 
families ; its great power was in its godly homes. Its 
groups of God-fearing parents and children were its 
seed-corn for the new world. The praying household, 
not the worldly adventurer, is the unit by which God 
builds. 

The value of the home is above price. It is older than 
the church, and stronger for good. It has the children 
six days, the church one. In the home we are born and 
die. There God abides and the angels minister. It is 
the armor of the righteous and defense for the nation. 
The corner-stone of the Republic is the hearthstone. 
The light of the church is the fireside. No calamity so 
great to the nation as the loss or weakening of its homes. 



468 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Vice and crime foster and multiply without a home. It 
is time for us to rouse up to this fact. We need more 
homes. Young people need to work toward a home as 
soon as married. Flats are only a half-home — flat 
enough — and boarding-houses are a kind of tramp busi- 
ness. A childless home is like a flower-vase with the 
plant gone. All this lowering of the Puritan home 
helps on divorce and lax divorce laws. It weakens the 
moral sense ; it ignores the law of God, which is quick 
and powerful in its relation ; it makes matrimony a 
business partnership ; it degrades the holy sanctity of 
wedlock, and makes the home a camp ; it takes away 
the dewy bloom of the rose-tree and leaves the thorns. 
We in the interior need to take up these duties and 
guard against these dangers. They enslave their chil- 
dren who make compromise with sin. These duties 
that seem small and commonplace are the duties that 
are great. 

Our republican government is based on these things 
— the Christian home, the Christian Sabbath, Christian 
civilization diffused among all the people, foreign as 
well as home born ; temperance, and the harmonious 
working of capital and labor. Our national life finds 
support here and nowhere else. The Mayflower was 
made to sail this way; — reversing these sails we should 
drift stern foremost back to barbarism. Not only our 
prosperity, but our existence depends upon these prin- 
ciples of Christianity actively penetrating and permeat- 
ing our entire national being. 

Our Congregationalism must be like our Republican- 
ism — adapted to the whole nation. Our fathers did not 
bring to this new continent a principle that was adapted 
to the State, and not equally well to the Church. It is 
suited grandly to both. It is a long step forward into the 
adaptation of the living truth of God to the needs of 
advancing times. We must cherish and guard it. They 



RETURN TO WORK— THE LAST YEAR. 469 

have rights who dare maintain them. Congregational- 
ism should not be regarded any longer as local, but uni- 
versal. As republicanism, which came in the compact 
of the Mayflower, went across the continent, and spans 
a free people from sea to sea, so must the polity of the 
Church do that sailed in the same ship. It is the same 
principle applied to Church and State. It has the same 
adaptations and fitnesses, and the same wonderful flexi- 
bility and strength. It has power to cast off internal 
weakness and evil, and to take on good. We have been 
too slow in grasping this fact, and rising to the great- 
ness of our responsibility and duty. We have crept 
timidly when we should have marched forward in faith 
and courage, strong in the principle with which God 
armed us. 

We do most for Plymouth Rock when we turn our 
backs on it, and carry the salvation of the Lord every- 
where to the front. There has been a blind unbelief in 
the ability of Congregationalism to meet the wants of 
all men. " There is no material here for Congregational- 
ism," has been the cry of many good men. I declare to 
you, wherever there is a soul to save there is material 
for Congregational work. God wants such service now, 
and every day of the world's future. Call it denomina- 
tional zeal, if you will. I call it devotion to the great 
truths on which we are founded. None of the great 
benevolent societies that take money from our order 
can afford to be indifferent to its welfare and growth. 
Where will their constituencies soon be in their growing 
needs if they do not zealously assist in enlarging and 
cultivating a noble church for the future, and gain for 
it the place it ought to have ? 

We need to maintain the full and complete power of 
the faith as God gave it, that we may be able to face 
and conquer the gigantic sins of our times. No emas- 
culated faith will answer our tremendous needs. We 



470 THE LTFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

don't want a tin soldier of the Cross, where our battles 
require the Ironsides of Cromwell. A two-cent benevo- 
lence will never do where thousands are needed. Our 
departures must not be toward Little Faith, but toward 
Steadfast. We do not want leaders who cut our Gospel 
down to weakness and imbecility ; but those that put 
on the full armor and give us nothing less than the 
glorious Gospel of the blessed God, which has conquered 
on all the world's great battlefields. For the conflict 
before us we must have all the truths of Revelation for 
our girding, and meet mighty errors by a mighty faith 
in God and His Word. What a poor show for victory 
to see some of the sons of Puritans dismantling the 
fortresses of Truth on the eve of battle, and building a 
Doubting Castle beside Plymouth Rock. Build no 
Doubting Castle beside Plymouth Rock ! Shall we be 
planning hospitals for Christian soldiers wounded by 
unbelief, instead of enlisting mighty men of valor for 
the great service pressing ? 

" Was the Mayflower launched by cowards, 
Steered by men behind their time ? 
Turn those tracks toward past or future, 
That make Plymouth Rock sublime ? 

" New occasions teach new duties, 
We ourselves must pilgrims be, 
Launch our Mayflowe?- and steer boldly, 
Through the desperate winter sea." 

PRAYERS FROM HIS NOTE-BOOK. 

When we look at the stars we bring the skies near to 
us ; so when we pray to Thee, Heaven is brought to 
earth. 

Let Thy truth be spread abroad ; its presence makes 
the day, and its absence the night of the nations. 

May religion be the element in which we live, and not 
the sanctuary to which we retire. 



PRAYERS FROM HIS NOTE-BOOK. 47 1 

Appoint my lot in Thine own good time and in Thine 
own best way. 

If we would have Thy light shine upon our faces, we 
must turn ourselves toward Thee. 

May we not veil Thy face with unbelief. 

Help us to make Thy service a study as we do our 
business. 

We thank Thee for the torch the fathers lighted and 
set on the shores of the new continent. May our altars 
be kindled by the same holy fire, and may we pass it 
from father to son along the centuries. 

Bless the old homes among the hills and valleys of 
the East, and by the rim of the blue ocean. From 
ocean to river, and from river to the Golden Gate, may 
Christ dwell in every home and heart. 

We bless Thee that our lives have fallen in this bounti- 
ful country, with just rulers, good teachers, wholesome 
laws, and a condition of things wherein we have no 
longer to strive against the old barbarisms. 

I know not the way I am going, yet well do I know 
the Guide, and I know the end. 

O God ! Thou dost come to us in flowers and harvests, 
in friends and Sabbath days. 

We come into the light of the King's countenance. 

May we go bearing the Cross with our eye fixed on 
the Crown. 

Bless those who are losing money, and upon whom 
the pressure of business falls. 

Help us in fighting our daily unseen battles. 

May we help now, and not use the kindness that 
comes too late. 

Bless the hearts that bleed, while the eyes are dry. 

We thank Thee for the much Thou hast been to us. 
We mourn for the little we have been to Thee. 



XXV. 

THROUGH THE GATES. 

1886. 



" If the life that has gone out has been like music, full of 
concords, full of sweetness, richness, delicacy, truth, then there 
are two right ways to look at it. One is to say, ' I have not 
lost it.' Another is to say, ' Blessed be God that I have had it 
so long.' " — Henry Ward Beecher. 

" We leave thee with a trust serene 

Which Time, nor Change, nor Death can move ; 
.While with thy childlike faith we lean 
On Him whose dearest name is Love." 

—J. G. Whittier. 

" Let the lifeless body rest ! 
He is gone, who was its guest ; 
Gone, as travellers haste to leave 
An inn, nor tarry until eve." 

—Longfellow. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

LAST MONTH OF HIS LIFE — COMMUNION ADDRESS — 
LETTERS — LAST PRAYER-MEETING — LAST FARE- 
WELL—THE END— FUNERAL — INTERMENT AT ST. 
TOHNSBURY, VT. 

The last month of his life ! How the interest deep- 
ens as the end draws near. How carefully and fondly 
have his people gathered up and dwelt upon its vari- 
ous incidents and events. How precious every memento. 

In the first prayer-meeting of the new year he gave 
to them for a watchword for the year, "Watch ye, 
stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong " 
(i Cor. xvi. 13). And he made all present repeat them 
over and over after him until they could say them in 
concert. 

The communion service on the first Sabbath of the 
year was especially solemn and quickening to his people. 
His prayers, the reception of new members, the rite of 
baptism, the address previous to the administration of 
the sacrament, all were unusually tender and impressive. 

The address was as follows : 

An artist must stand back from his work at times, to 
see how it is shaping up ; so need we, at the beginning 
of the new year, to look upon our lives, and test them 
by divine standards. 

1. Set up the family altar ; if down, rebuild it. 

2. Plan to give a definite portion of your income to 
the Lord. 

(475) 



476 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

3. Take a good religious family newspaper ; provide 
good reading for the household. 

4. See that your children are in the Bible-school and 
doing well. 

5. Let your strength overflow to the weak. 

6. As you take down the old calendars and hang up 
the new, settle all old accounts with God and man, and 
begin duty afresh, " steps up to Heaven." 

7. Start life over with the week of prayer Draw 
nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you. 

8. Reserve prayer-meeting night from all other en- 
gagements through the year. 

9. See that the Sabbath is honored by you and in your 
home. 

10. Have a care for the temperance question. 

11. Cherish no evil ; carry no ill-will against any. 

12. Open God's Word and take it into your life. The 
continuous study of the Bible must make the soul and 
the future massive and great. 

13. Take the high, bright side, trust God fully, follow 
Him wholly, and rest your life in His glorious light. 

14. We are soon to leave this world, never to come 
back. Put your mark on it for good this year. A monk 
saw a vision of spiritual beauty, but turned from it at 
the call of duty ; when he returned it was still there. 
God kept it for him. We gain whatever we leave for 
God and duty. 

Coming up out of the valley of the Jordan, we sud- 
denly caught sight of our camp in the distance. It was 
a gleam of white and gold, its cords stretched and its 
banners flying, all lighted up by the setting sun. We 
said, there is rest and refreshment ; our hot and dusty 
march is over. But we found it a weary and hard way 
as we descended into the valley that intervened ; rock 
and river, and ravine and morass, and thorn and preci- 
pice before the goal was won. So on this bright New- 



COMMUNION ADDRESS. 477 

Year's morning, our fair mansions in the skies seem near, 
but if God has yet a weary way before us ere we attain, 
let us go in a patient and strong faith. 

The last sentence of the communion address seems 
to hint of a premonition that the life of heaven was 
near. There were other tokens of this. After his 
death, Dr. W. W. Boyd, his friend and confidant, said 
at his funeral : " During these last few months his re- 
ligious experience has been a preparation for this event. 
However suddenly it came to us, it did not come un- 
expectedly to him. He said the other day, ' I have 
had such a refreshing view of Christ, it was almost 
overpowering. It seemed as if the Saviour himself 
were standing close beside me.' " Two Sabbaths be- 
fore the last his people were filled with awe to hear 
him pray for his successor, as if he were conscious that 
he himself was soon to depart. 

But no presentiment of death led him to relax his 
labors. It seems as if he undertook fresh ones the 
nearer he approached the time when toil was to cease. 

Among other work he had planned for this winter 
was a series of Sunday-night discourses illustrating the 
Bible. While in Palestine he had collected, at con- 
siderable expense, a large number of curiosities for this 
purpose, and arranged with Dr. Selah Merrill to col- 
lect additional ones and invoice them to him. Having 
duly advertised by means of attractive cards extensively 
circulated, the whole course of ten lectures, printing the 
list of topics in full, with the dates of their delivery, he 
commenced the series on the third Sabbath in January, 
intending to give them on successive Sabbath evenings 
to the third Sabbath of March. His aim was to shed 
" Light from Bible Lands " upon the truth of God's 
Word, and in such a way as would attract people in 



478 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

larger numbers to the Sunday-evening service. The 
crowded congregations which filled the church to hear 
those lectures that were given proved his plan a good 
one. The lectures were a great success. 

The following note to his brother-in-law, C. M. Stone, 
Esq., of St. Johnsbury, Vt., with whose family his 
daughter had spent the recent Christmas holidays, in- 
dicates the pressure of work then upon his brain, and 
the joy of heart with which he did it : 

St. Louis, Jan. 14, 1886. 

Dear Mr. Stone : — The time flies fast, and the work 
presses hard, and my head is heavy and sore ; but my 
heart is light and glad, and Christ is so good, and all 
toil for Him is precious. 

I thank you and your household for all your great 
kindness to Laura. You made the child very happy. 
We send our good wishes to you, and our thoughts and 
prayers for you to God. 

Sincerely yours, C. L. Goodell. 

To Franklin Fairbanks, Esq., who had a short time 
before celebrated the completion of twenty-five years' 
service as superintendent of the Sunday-school, he 
writes : 

January 19, 1886. 

My dear Brother : — I rejoice with you that you have 
been able to put in twenty-five years of worthy and 
fruitful service into the Sunday-school. Though my 
congratulations are somewhat tardy, they are none the 
less hearty. I trust you have daily tokens of good from 
God that strengthen and comfort your soul. Outward 
things can never go all right in this world ; but God 
can give us His daily presence, so sweet and blessed 
that there shall be rest and peace within. 






LAST PRAYER-MEETING. 479 

" When by earth's cross-lights perplexed 
We ask the thing that may not be, 
God, reading right our erring text, 
Gives what we'd ask, if we could see." 

I am glad for you, in having a pastor after God's own 
heart. You had a good accession at the last com- 
munion. I thank you for all your kindness at Under- 
clyffe to L. She was made very happy. E. unites in 

love to each. 

Yours truly, C. L. G. 

His last Wednesday-night prayer-meeting is remem- 
bered as one of special interest, in which he spoke to 
his people with unusual power and tenderness of spirit. 
The Scripture-lesson read was the first part of the 15th 
chapter of John. In connection with this passage he 
first spoke of the work of the previous year. " We re- 
member," says one of his people, "how joyously and 
thankfully he went over and summed up that work, 
commending the liberality and success of the church in 
it ; and how his countenance beamed, as turning to the 
future he spoke of the bright opening of the new year, 
and his hopes of larger labors, increased influence, and 
greater results for the months to come. Then he took 
up these words from the verses read, ' Every branch 
that beareth fruit He purgeth it, that it may bring forth 
more fruit/ and tenderly commented upon them. As 
if prophetically inspired, in view of what was nigh at 
hand, he lingered upon the thought in them as if loth 
to let it go ; he appealed to us never to rebel, but to 
always submit patiently and even joyously, because, 
said he, behind the knife stands Christ — the hand that 
holds the knife is Christ's hand." 

At that time Mrs. Goodell was prostrated by a severe 



480 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

illness, which caused him much anxiety. For several 
days he was in doubt how her sickness would end, and 
the apprehension of parting with her, and of being left 
behind, weighed upon his heart. Her improvement, 
near the last of the week, gave him great relief. Mr. 
Richards, the clerk of the church, called to see him, 
to confer with him about the Annual Directory then 
being printed. " She will get well," was his joyful 
reply to an inquiry after Mrs. Goodell. The question 
was then asked, in relation to the Directory, " Whether 
the border around the list of those who had died dur- 
ing the previous year should be as heavy as usual." 
He thought it looked dark and gloomy, saying: "You 
know it is not so bad to go ; yet those who remain are 
lonesome." 

To his daughter he writes: 

January 29, 1886. 

Dearest Laura : — Your good letters have been a com- 
fort to your mother and me. She sends her dearest love 
to you. She is better, but doesn't sit up any yet. Friends 
are very kind. I am sleeping in your room. I like your 
birds ; we have good times. It pleases me to see yel- 
low Dick wake up and stretch out his leg and wing, and 
then jump down and begin his breakfast without a bless- 
ing ; but soon he jumps up, and has singing and prayers. 
He inquires for you sometimes, and looks very sober. 
Dear L., I love you. My heart breaks to go so long with- 
out seeing you. 

Your affectionate Father. 

The last letter he ever wrote was to the same, dated 

Saturday Night, January 30, 1886. 
Dearest dear L. : — Mamma is better. Help me thank 
God I send you a love token. 

Your affectionate Father. 



LAST FAREWELL — THE END. 48 1 

His pulpit was occupied Sunday morning, January 
31st, by Rev. Mr. Newell, of the McAll Mission, Paris, 
to whose address, in relation to that remarkable work 
of evangelization among the French people, he listened 
with deep interest. 

In the evening, Dr. Goodell gave the third in the 
series of " Sunday-Night Discourses," that have been 
spoken of. The subject was, " The Routine of Family 
Life in the Holy Land." He appeared at his best. He 
preached with unusual eloquence and animation to a 
crowded house. After the service he walked home in 
company with two of his church officers and their wives, 
pleasantly parting with them at his own gate. On go- 
ing into his house he went up to the chamber of his 
wife, and sitting down by her bedside gave her an ac- 
count of the evening service. He was in good spirits. 
Soon he spoke of going to bed in the room adjoining. 
Before he rose to go, his wife gave him for his " pillow" 
a verse she had found in her reading of the Bible dur- 
ing the day, reciting it to him : " Blessed are they that 
do His commandments, that they may have right to 
the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into 
the city" (Rev. xxii. 14). " Yes," said he, kindling at the 
words, and repeating them after her, " through the gates 
into the city," and then kissing her a good-night he 
passed out of the room. Without knowing it, they had 
spoken to each other their last " Farewell ! " In a few 
moments a groan was heard, at which Mrs. Goodell's 
nurse hastened to his room. She found him half re- 
clining on the sofa, with his hand to his head. " My 
head," he said ; and then he sank down in unconscious- 
ness, in which he lingered until morning, expiring 
with the dawn of February 1st. It was a stroke of 

apoplexy. 

21 



482 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

So he departed this life in the midst of his earnest 
labors, thus suddenly interrupted. 

" Death takes us by surprise, 
And stays our hurrying feet ; 
The great design unfinished lies, 
Our lives are incomplete. 

" But in the dark unknown 
Perfect their circles seem, 
Even as a bridge's arch of stone 
Is rounded in the stream. 

" Alike are life and death, 

When life in death survives, 
And the uninterrupted breath 
Inspires a thousand lives." 

—Longfellow. 

THE FUNERAL. 

Mrs. Goodell, on account of her illness, was unable 
to leave the house ; so a brief service of prayer, by 
Professor Currier, of Oberlin, was held at their home, 
3006 Pine Street, for the family and their most inti- 
mate friends. This was in the study where the casket 
stood ; 

" Dead he lay among his books, 
The peace of God was in his looks." 

The body was then borne, through crowded streets, 
to the church for the public funeral exercises. The 
procession to the church was a large and unusual one. 
In it walked the trustees of Drury and Illinois Colleges, 
with whom Dr. Goodell had been associated, the clergy- 
men of the city of all denominations, and a multitude 
of distinguished strangers from abroad and eminent 
citizens of St. Louis. 



FUNERAL. 483 

Before they left the house, Mrs. Goodell said : " Let 
not the service be a mournful one "; and at her request, 
as the body was carried up the aisle of the thronged 
church to its place before the pulpit, the choir sang 
Bernard's beautiful hymn, 

" For thee, O dear, dear country," etc., 

which had closed his last service in the church the pre- 
vious Sunday night. 

The funeral exercises at the church were conducted 
by Rev. W. W. Boyd, D.D., of the Second Baptist 
Church, who had lived in close fraternal intimacy with 
him. Besides the devotional part of the service, inter- 
esting addresses were made by Dr. Boyd, Rev. G. C. 
Adams, and Rev. F. A. Noble, D.D., of Chicago. From 
the address of Dr. Boyd, who spoke on the relation of 
Dr. Goodell to the Church at large and the city, we 
quote two brief golden sentences : rt He was one of the 
few men in whom those who knew him best saw little 
to change. For nine years we have seen each other 
almost every day, .... but I never heard from these 
lips, now silent in death, one unkind or ungracious 
word about a living creature." 

Rev. George C. Adams spoke of his work within the 
denomination in the city and State. From this ad- 
dress we have already made copious citations. 

Dr. Noble, of Chicago, spoke on Dr. Goodell's rela- 
tion to the denomination throughout the country, and 
the personal qualities that made him great. Its char- 
acterization of Dr. Goodell was so just and admirable 
that we give a considerable portion of this address. 
Let it serve as a rtsuniJ of what we have attempted in 
this book : 



484 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

To Dr. Goodell there belonged the power which always resides 

in a unique personality Run through the schedule of all 

his qualities, and say at the end, as you probably might, that 
he possessed no elements of mind and character not easily 
matched by others ; and yet when you came back to the man 
himself, . . . you would be forced to admit the presence of a cer- 
tain something very hard to be defined which imparted the fra- 
grance and the power of a marked individuality. There is but 
one Dr. Storrs, there is but one Joseph Cook, there is but one 
Dwight L. Moody. So in all the land there was but one Dr. 
Goodell It was because he was just himself. . . . Speak- 
ing through his own individuality, and in a tone and manner 
which always partook of his own large-heartedness, his words, 
whether uttered in private conversation, or from the pulpit, or 
on the platform, or through the press, never failed to take hold, 
and demonstrate a peculiar power in the man. 

To Dr. Goodell belonged the power, also, and the influence 
which accompanies deep convictions of the truth and fidelity 
to them. . . . His simple strong faith was one of the first things 
about him to make an impression. His faith was much more 
to him than the system of doctrines to which he adhered. It 
was not enough for him to say, I believe this and that. He be- 
lieved God ; not in God simply, but God. He believed Jesus 
Christ. He believed the Word ; and his was a faith that never 

wavered, serene, stout, confident Such a man brings God 

and all good things near to other men. They feel a strange 

uplift, not only in his words, but in his presence It was 

not what he said merely, it was a somewhat which came from 
his own being as a man 

Dr. Goodell stood fast by the truth as it lies clear and fresh 
on the pages of the open Bible. The credit due him for main- 
taining this front in the face of all the adverse influences of the 

times is not small All have felt these influences. He 

felt them. But he was not taken off his feet and misled by 
them. He recognized them ; he measured them, yet he did 
not yield to them. He preferred to abide by the simple truth 
as he found it in the Scriptures rather than to give his mind up 
to the fancies and speculations of men who seem to think they 
are warranted in telling the world that the Son of God could 
not possibly have meant what He said This man stood 



FUNERAL. 485 

square upon the truth as it is in Jesus. He did not outrun the 
truth ; he did not linger behind it ; he kept company with it. 
He was not afraid of light. He said : " If you can bring any 
new illumination to bear on the Scriptures, bring it, and I will 
cheerfully accept it. If you can bring any new and more effect- 
ive energy into the world for the regeneration of humanity, 
do so, and it shall have my hearty welcome. If you can put 
any doctrine taught in the Bible or held by the Church into a 
better statement ; if you can hit upon any method of making 
heaven seem nearer and more desirable to men ; if you can 
strike out any way or plan by which sinful, alienated men can 
be more readily induced to turn to God, you may be sure of my 
approbation ; but do not ask me to accept your guesses ; do not 
ask me to substitute conjectures, however plausible, for the old 
and precious verities of the everlasting Gospel." 

That was a brave word he spoke before the Congregational 
Club on Forefathers' Night in Chicago. I wish it might be 
written on the door-posts of every Theological Seminary in 
America. " Build no Doubting Castle beside Plymouth Rock ! " 
Set it to music and sing it. Print it as a motto and teach it to 
the children. Weave it into sermons and speak and say it over 
and over again. " No Doubting Castles beside Plymouth 
Rock ! " 

Plymouth Rock meant to him faith in God, reverence for the 
institutions of God, loyalty to Jesus Christ, fidelity to duty, 
heroism of the finest and loftiest, and an unstinted devotion of 
one's best energies and thoughts to the saving of men and the 
upbuilding of God's kingdom. 

He was an embodiment of the words, "Always abounding 
in the work of the Lord." He was always working, always 
forming and carrying out some new plan for winning men to 
Christ, and for enlarging the boundaries of our Lord's sway over 
the multitudes. He was a wise and earnest helper of schools, 
and colleges, and churches, and of all sorts of movements far 
and near which had for their object scattering light and bring- 
ing men to God How many will say : " Who shall rise 

up and take the place of this man who had our work so much 
at heart ?".... There was no man in all our fellowship who 
seemed to be more necessary to us for the next ten years than 
he 



486 THE LIFE OF CONSTANS L. GOODELL. 

Yet I do not lose heart nor hope. From his sealed lips there 
seems to come this message to-day : " Do not lose your faith, 
do not drop down from your fidelity to the work of the Church, 
now that I am gone ; but be stout-hearted, earnest, loyal, true 
to every truth, and alive to every responsibility." Being dead 

he yet speaketh But we mourn him ! And we shall, till 

we, too, pass " through the gates into the city." . . . There will 
be hours in my work when my heart will cry out for him, and 
the wish will leap into utterance : " Oh ! that I could have just 
one more word from him, such a word as used to come to me, 
and bring me new faith in God, and make me braver and 
stronger for all my burden-bearing." 

After the services at the church the body was carried 
for temporary entombment to Bellefontaine Cemetery, 
St. Louis. At the tomb the last act of love — a touch- 
ing and significant token of the affection and regard 
this large-hearted man inspired in all classes — was per- 
formed by a Chinaman, who having hired a carriage and 
followed the procession with two of his countrymen to 
the cemetery, there stepped forth with his companions, 
and uncovering a beautiful bouquet of pure white 
flowers, laid it as their tribute of respect for the dead 
upon the casket, before it was placed in the vault. 

A few months later the body was taken to St. Johns- 
bury, Vermont, and interred in the beautiful cemetery 
of that town, in the spot Mrs. Goodell and himself had 
chosen for their family burial-place. There in hope of 
the resurrection it reposes. 

" Sleep sweetly, tender heart, in peace ! 
Sleep, holy spirit, blessed soul ! 
While the stars burn, the moons increase, 
And the great ages onward roll." 



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